Sample records for professional development teaching

  1. Teaching professional development of science and engineering professors at a research-extensive university: Motivations, meaningfulness, obstacles, and effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouwma-Gearhart, Jana

    There is a national movement to improve undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Given the percentage of academics teaching and training at research institutions, there is a parallel movement to improve the quality of teaching-focused professional development for practicing and future STEM educators at these institutions. While research into the effectiveness of teaching professional development at the postsecondary level has increased over the last 40 years, little attention has been paid to understanding faculty perceptions regarding what constitutes effective teaching professional development. Less is known about how to best meet the needs of STEM faculty at research universities and why, given that they are seldom required to engage in teaching professional development, they bother to participate at all. The higher education research community must develop theory grounded in the knowledge and practical experiences of the faculty engaged in teaching professional development. I have studied what motivates twelve research university science and engineering faculty to engage in teaching professional development in light of local supports and barriers and the resulting value of their participation. I have interpreted the experiences of my research participants to indicate that they were motivated to engage in teaching professional development to fulfill a need to bring their teaching competencies in better concordance with their professional strengths as researchers. Once engaged, my research participants increased their teaching competence and achieved more autonomy with respect to their professional practice. As they continued to engage, they internalized the values and practices associated with effective teaching professional development and adopted the commitment to continually problematize their teaching practice as more of their own. My research participants attempted to transfer their revised stance regarding teaching and teaching professional development to their student mentees and colleagues. They found certain teaching professional development types and topics to be more meaningful and of interest than others. My research findings may inform those committed to the improvement of postsecondary STEM education at research universities, including teaching professional development advocates and implementers and participating faculty members themselves.

  2. A Multiple-Case Study on the Impact of Teacher Professional Development for Online Teaching on Face-to-Face Classroom Teaching Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parra, Julia Lynn

    2010-01-01

    Today's teachers need preparation, support, and professional development to help them change their curriculum and teaching practices. One area of potential for this preparation, support, and professional development is currently being evidenced in the field of online teaching and learning. In preparing teachers for teaching online, research…

  3. A Qualitative Inquiry of Elementary Co-Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development for Co-Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Jason S.

    2017-01-01

    This dissertation investigated regular and special education co-teachers' perceptions of professional development programs and their readiness to co-teach in the elementary mathematics classroom. A gap in co-teaching literature exists regarding how teachers perceived co-teaching professional development and how it impacts their readiness to…

  4. Research University STEM Faculty Members' Motivation to Engage in Teaching Professional Development: Building the Choir Through an Appeal to Extrinsic Motivation and Ego

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouwma-Gearhart, Jana

    2012-10-01

    This paper reports on a qualitative, grounded-theory-based study that explored the motivations of science and engineering faculty to engage in teaching professional development at a major research university. Faculty members were motivated to engage in teaching professional development due to extrinsic motivations, mainly a weakened professional ego, and sought to bring their teaching identities in better concordance with their researcher identities. The results pose a challenge to a body of research that has concluded that faculty must be intrinsically motivated to participate in teaching professional development. Results confirmed a pre-espoused theory of motivation, self-determination theory; a discussion of research literature consideration during grounded theory research is offered. A framework for motivating more faculty members at research universities to engage in teaching professional development is provided.

  5. 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.

  6. Teaching professionalism through virtual means.

    PubMed

    McEvoy, Michelle; Butler, Bryan; MacCarrick, Geraldine

    2012-02-01

    Virtual patients are used across a variety of clinical disciplines for both teaching and assessment, but are they an appropriate environment in which to develop professional skills? This study aimed to evaluate students' perceived effectiveness of an online interactive virtual patient developed to augment a personal professional development curriculum, and to identify factors that would maximise the associated educational benefits. Student focus group discussions were conducted to explore students' views on the usefulness and acceptability of the virtual patient as an educational tool to teach professionalism, and to identify factors for improvement. A thematic content analysis was used to capture content and synthesise the range of opinions expressed. Overall there was a positive response to the virtual patient. The students recognised the need to teach and assess professionalism throughout their curriculum, and viewed the virtual patient as a potentially engaging and valuable addition to their curriculum. We identified factors for improvement to guide the development of future virtual patients. It is possible to improve approaches to teaching and learning professionalism by exploring students' views on innovative teaching developments designed to augment personal professional development curricula. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  7. MyTeachingPartner: A Professional Development Intervention for Teacher Self-Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jamil, Faiza M.

    2012-01-01

    MyTeachingPartner (MTP) is an interactive, web-based professional development format created at the Center for Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning (CASTL) at the University of Virginia (Hadden & Pianta, 2006). The MTP model is based on the understanding that effective teacher professional development requires opportunities for teachers…

  8. 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…

  9. 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…

  10. Research University STEM Faculty Members' Motivation to Engage in Teaching Professional Development: Building the Choir through an Appeal to Extrinsic Motivation and Ego

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouwma-Gearhart, Jana

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on a qualitative, grounded-theory-based study that explored the motivations of science and engineering faculty to engage in teaching professional development at a major research university. Faculty members were motivated to engage in teaching professional development due to extrinsic motivations, mainly a weakened professional…

  11. How Does a Co-Learner Delivery Model in Professional Development Affect Teachers' Self-Efficacy in Teaching Mathematics and Specialized Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ribeiro, John J.

    2009-01-01

    The National Mathematics Advisory Panel, established under the Bush Administration, was created to improve teaching and learning of mathematics in the United States. One component of the study was focused on teachers and professional development opportunities. They found that the majority of professional development studies available were mostly…

  12. Investigating the experience: A case study of a science professional development program based on Kolb's experiential learning model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, Brian L.

    Professional development for educators has been defined as the process or processes by which teachers achieve higher levels of professional competence and expand their understanding of self, role, context and career (Duke and Stiggins, 1990). Currently, there is limited research literature that examines the effect a professional development course, which uses David Kolb's experiential learning model, has on the professional growth and teaching practice of middle school science teachers. The purpose of this interpretive case study is to investigate how three science teachers who participated in the Rivers to Reef professional development course interpreted the learning experience and integrated the experience into their teaching practice. The questions guiding this research are (1) What is the relationship between a professional development course that uses an experiential learning model and science teaching practice? (2) How do the Rivers to Reef participants reflect on and describe the course as a professional growth experience? The creation of the professional development course and the framework for the study were established using David Kolb's (1975) experiential learning theory and the reflection process model designed by David Boud (1985). The participants in the study are three middle school science teachers from schools representing varied settings and socioeconomic levels in the southeastern United States. Data collected used the three-interview series interview format designed by Dolbere and Schuman (Seidman, 1998). Data was analyzed for the identification of common categories related to impact on science teaching practice and professional growth. The major finding of this study indicates the years of teaching experience of middle school science teachers significantly influences how they approach professional development, what and how they learn from the experience, and the ways in which the experience influences their teaching practices.

  13. Professional development in person: identity and the construction of teaching within a high school science department

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deneroff, Victoria

    2016-06-01

    This is a narrative inquiry into the role of professional development in the construction of teaching practice by an exemplary urban high school science teacher. I collected data during 3 years of ethnographic participant observation in Marie Gonzalez's classroom. Marie told stories about her experiences in ten years of professional development focused on inquiry science teaching. I use a social practice theory lens to analyze my own stories as well as Marie's. I make the case that science teaching is best understood as mediated by socially-constructed identities rather than as the end-product of knowledge and beliefs. The cognitive paradigm for understanding teachers' professional learning fails to consistently produce transformations of teaching practice. In order to design professional development with science teachers that is generative of new knowledge, and is self-sustaining, we must understand how to build knowledge of how to problematize identities and consciously use social practice theory.

  14. A New Paradigm in ESL Teaching and Learning Environments: Online Professional Development for Taiwanese Instructors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chu, Shiao-wei

    2013-01-01

    This case study investigates the perspectives of four Taiwanese English ESL (English as a second language) teachers with regard to their participation in an online professional development course. To build a collaborative online professional development community, in which teachers acquire professional knowledge to improve teaching instruction and…

  15. 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…

  16. A Faculty Driven Teaching & Learning Center: The Evolution of a Professional Development Venture.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sablan, Helen

    Tacoma Community College (TCC), in Washington, has implemented a comprehensive professional development program to serve the training and development needs of its employees. Program goals include promoting student success through curriculum review and teaching development, increasing opportunities for professional development, building a positive…

  17. 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.

  18. 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…

  19. The Professional Development of Graduate Teaching Assistants.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marincovich, Michele, Ed.; Prostko, Jack, Ed.; Stout, Frederic, Ed.

    Sixteen papers address the training and professional development of graduate teaching assistants. The papers are: (1) "Preparing Graduate Students To Teach: Past, Present, and Future" (Nancy Van Note Chism); (2) "The Role of Centralized Programs in Preparing Graduate Students To Teach" (Jacqueline A. Mintz); (3) "The Disciplinary/Departmental…

  20. 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.

  1. Results of a Practicum Offering Teaching-Focused Graduate Student Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richards-Babb, Michelle; Penn, John H.; Withers, Michelle

    2014-01-01

    Providing chemistry graduate students with opportunities to learn about evidence-based teaching and to practice teaching skills in a mentored environment is crucial to their professional development. Herein is described the model for a graduate-level teaching practicum course specifically focused on the chemistry discipline. This course addressed…

  2. Helping Graduate Teaching Assistants in Biology Use Student Evaluations as Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendall, K. Denise; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Dittrich-Reed, Dylan; Schussler, Elisabeth E.

    2014-01-01

    Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are often used as instructors in undergraduate introductory science courses, particularly in laboratory and discussion sections associated with large lectures. These GTAs are often novice teachers with little opportunity to develop their teaching skills through formal professional development. Focused…

  3. Perspective: Can emotional intelligence training serve as an alternative approach to teaching professionalism to residents?

    PubMed

    Taylor, Christine; Farver, Carol; Stoller, James K

    2011-12-01

    Of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's six general competencies, professionalism has posed the greatest challenges for medical educators to define and teach. Currently, professionalism is largely taught experientially through role modeling, which has many shortcomings as a sole teaching strategy. Namely, role modeling does not involve an explicit curriculum, the skill is difficult to teach or develop, and physicians may be reluctant to talk about lapses in their own behaviors regarding professionalism.In this article, the authors propose instead using the model of emotional intelligence (EI) to define key elements of professionalism and as the basis for their proposed curriculum for teaching professionalism. EI is a well-developed construct and consists of four types of abilities: emotional self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. EI is grounded in effective performance and leadership success rather than in moral right or wrong. The authors propose that the EI abilities suggest specific curricula which, when successfully taught by faculty and learned by physicians-in-training, would allow trainees' professionalism to be recognized and measured in ways that are not currently possible with existing hidden curricula. The authors hope that those who develop policies regarding professionalism and those who train physicians will find this construct a useful way of developing curricula for the critical professionalism competency.

  4. Toward a Measure of Professional Development for Graduate Student Teaching Assistants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeChenne, Sue Ellen; Lesseig, Kristin; Anderson, Shawn M.; Li, Sissi L.; Staus, Nancy L.; Barthel, Celeste

    2012-01-01

    This study describes the development and validation of an instrument to measure graduate teaching assistants' (GTAs) learning about teaching during professional development. In the pilot study, exploratory factor analysis of data from 239 graduate students indicates a single factor structure. The second study, involving 177 science, technology,…

  5. Using professional interpreters in undergraduate medical consultation skills teaching

    PubMed Central

    Bansal, Aarti; Swann, Jennifer; Smithson, William Henry

    2014-01-01

    The ability to work with interpreters is a core skill for UK medical graduates. At the University of Sheffield Medical School, this teaching was identified as a gap in the curriculum. Teaching was developed to use professional interpreters in role-play, based on evidence that professional interpreters improve health outcomes for patients with limited English proficiency. Other principles guiding the development of the teaching were an experiential learning format, integration to the core consultation skills curriculum, and sustainable delivery. The session was aligned with existing consultation skills teaching to retain the small-group experiential format and general practitioner (GP) tutor. Core curricular time was found through conversion of an existing consultation skills session. Language pairs of professional interpreters worked with each small group, with one playing patient and the other playing interpreter. These professional interpreters attended training in the scenarios so that they could learn to act as patient and family interpreter. GP tutors attended training sessions to help them facilitate the session. This enhanced the sustainability of the session by providing a cohort of tutors able to pass on their expertise to new staff through the existing shadowing process. Tutors felt that the involvement of professional interpreters improved student engagement. Student evaluation of the teaching suggests that the learning objectives were achieved. Faculty evaluation by GP tutors suggests that they perceived the teaching to be worthwhile and that the training they received had helped improve their own clinical practice in consulting through interpreters. We offer the following recommendations to others who may be interested in developing teaching on interpreted consultations within their core curriculum: 1) consider recruiting professional interpreters as a teaching resource; 2) align the teaching to existing consultation skills sessions to aid integration; and 3) invest in faculty development for successful and sustainable delivery. PMID:25473325

  6. A Conceptual Framework for Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development Evaluation and Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeves, Todd D.; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Miller, Kristen R.; Ridgway, Judith; Gardner, Grant E.; Schussler, Elisabeth E.; Wischusen, E. William

    2016-01-01

    Biology graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are significant contributors to the educational mission of universities, particularly in introductory courses, yet there is a lack of empirical data on how to best prepare them for their teaching roles. This essay proposes a conceptual framework for biology GTA teaching professional development (TPD)…

  7. Breaking the Cycle: Future Faculty Begin Teaching with Learner-Centered Strategies after Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebert-May, Diane; Derting, Terry L.; Henkel, Timothy P.; Maher, Jessica Middlemis; Momsen, Jennifer L.; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A.

    2015-01-01

    The availability of reliable evidence for teaching practices after professional development is limited across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, making the identification of professional development "best practices" and effective models for change difficult. We aimed to determine the extent to which…

  8. 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…

  9. Professional Development in Statistics, Technology, and Cognitively Demanding Tasks: Classroom Implementation and Obstacles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foley, Gregory D.; Khoshaim, Heba Bakr; Alsaeed, Maha; Er, S. Nihan

    2012-01-01

    Attending professional development programmes can support teachers in applying new strategies for teaching mathematics and statistics. This study investigated (a) the extent to which the participants in a professional development programme subsequently used the techniques they had learned when teaching mathematics and statistics and (b) the…

  10. Towards a Typology of Improvisation as a Professional Teaching Skill: Implications for Pre-Service Teacher Education Programmes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aadland, Helga; Espeland, Magne; Arnesen, Trond Egil

    2017-01-01

    In this article we discuss the concept of improvisation as a professional teaching skill. Our professional context is teacher education and our discussion is aimed at developing a categorized understanding, or rather a tentative typology, of what professional improvisation in teaching and teacher education might be. Undertaking such a bold…

  11. Application of E-Portfolio System to Enhance Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Chin-Wen

    2011-01-01

    This study focuses on the meaning, applications and future development of e-teaching portfolios as an attempt to highlight the important role it plays in the "post-modern teaching practice mode". For the purpose of enhancing teacher professional development, application of the teaching portfolio system in the post-modern teacher qualification…

  12. Transformative Professional Development: Relationship to Teachers' Beliefs, Expertise and Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kose, Brad W.; Lim, Eun Young

    2010-01-01

    Although scholarship demonstrates the value and need for teaching grounded in equity, diversity and social justice, little research has explored the relationship between transformative professional development and transformative teaching. This survey research study conducted in 25 US diverse elementary schools investigated statistical…

  13. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2018

    2018-01-01

    The "National Board for Professional Teaching Standards" ("NBPTS") establishes standards for accomplished teachers and awards professional certification to teachers who can demonstrate that their teaching practices meet those standards. Educators and experts in child development and related fields established the organization,…

  14. Professional Development through Teacher Collaboration: An Approach to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Science and Mathematics in Tanzania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafyulilo, Ayoub Cherd

    2013-01-01

    This study introduces "teachers' collaboration" as an approach to teachers' professional development geared at enhancing science and mathematics teaching in Tanzania secondary schools. Teachers' professional development through teachers' collaboration has been reported to be effective for the improvement of schools' performance and…

  15. Digital Ethnography: Understanding Faculty Use of an Online Community of Practice for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richmond, Nancy

    2014-01-01

    This doctoral thesis explored how faculty members in higher education use an online community of practice for professional development in teaching and, if so, in what ways and for what purposes? Answering this inquiry involved the knowledge of social constructivism, higher education, teaching, professional development, and online communities.…

  16. Practice Brief: Faculty Perspectives on Professional Development to Improve Efficacy when Teaching Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Hye Jin; Roberts, Kelly D.; Stodden, Robert

    2012-01-01

    "Innovative and Sustainable Teaching Methods and Strategies" project staff provided professional development to instructional faculty to enhance their attitudes, knowledge, and skills in meeting the diverse needs of students with disabilities. This practice brief describes one of the professional development programs, delivered over the course of…

  17. 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) GTAs can encourage or incite undergraduates' interest to choose a career in the sciences; and (5) make our graduates more marketable. Since 68% of current GTAs were interested in a teaching position, the University should allocate time to educate the GTAs who are currently teaching or plan to teach as a profession.

  18. Learning to Teach Online: Promoting Success through Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hinson, Janice M.; LaPrairie, Kimberely N.

    2005-01-01

    The study reported in this paper examined the types of professional-development activities, support systems, and organizational structures necessary for community college faculty to make transitions from traditional teaching to Web-based teaching. Results indicate that (a) instructional change can by initiated through sustained professional…

  19. Consultation: Professional Learning Framework for the Teaching Profession.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ontario College of Teachers, Toronto.

    This publication describes the professional learning framework for teaching that was developed by the Ontario College of Teachers, a self-regulatory body for the teaching profession in Ontario. The Ontario College of Teachers has a mandate, in legislation, to identify and accredit professional learning programs that support standards of practice…

  20. Teachers' Professional Learning Goals in Relation to Teaching Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Louws, Monika L.; van Veen, Klaas; Meirink, Jacobiene A.; van Driel, Jan H.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we explored the relationships between teachers' self-articulated professional learning goals and their teaching experience. Although those relationships seem self-evident, in programmes for teachers' professional development years of teaching experience are hardly taken into account. Sixteen teachers with varying years of experience…

  1. The Impact of a Professional Development Program on Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching, Instruction, and Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacob, Robin; Hill, Heather; Corey, Doug

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we describe findings from a three-year evaluation of a well-developed mathematics professional development program that is commercially available on a wide scale. The professional development is designed to improve teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching and to enable them to elicit more student thinking and reasoning during…

  2. Examining Mathematics Mentor Teachers' Practices in Professional Development Courses on Teaching Data Analysis: Implications for Mentor Teachers' Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuzle, Ana; Biehler, Rolf

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we report on the training practices of 12 mathematics mentor teachers who developed and implemented five short professional development courses after participating in a 5-month continuous professional development course "Competence-oriented teaching and learning of data analysis." The intention of this course was to deepen…

  3. Understanding by Design (UbD) in EFL Teaching: Teachers' Professional Development and Students' Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yurtseven, Nihal; Altun, Sertel

    2017-01-01

    Concepts such as teachers' professional development and students' achievement act as the driving force for the development of each in a causal relationship in EFL teaching, as in many other disciplines. The purpose of this study is to investigate the change Understanding by Design (UbD) made on teachers' professional development and students'…

  4. We Don't Get Any Training: The Impact of a Professional Development Model on Teaching Practices of Chemistry and Biology Graduate Teaching Assistants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutambuki, Jacinta M.; Schwartz, Renee

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the implementation of best teaching practices by science graduate teaching assistants [GTAs] (3 chemists and 2 biologists) in five inquiry-based, interdisciplinary chemistry-biology experiments during a six-week professional development (PD) program, Engage PD. Additionally, we examined GTAs' experiences in implementing…

  5. Transforming Middle School Geometry: Designing Professional Development Materials that Support the Teaching and Learning of Similarity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seago, Nanette; Jacobs, Jennifer; Driscoll, Mark

    2010-01-01

    Although there are increasing numbers of professional development (PD) materials intended to foster teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching within the topics of number and algebra, little attention has been given to geometry. In this article we describe the Learning and Teaching Geometry project's approach to the development of PD materials…

  6. The teaching portfolio as a professional development tool for anaesthetists.

    PubMed

    Sidhu, N S

    2015-05-01

    A teaching portfolio (TP) is a document containing a factual description of a teacher's teaching strengths and accomplishments, allowing clinicians to display them for examination by others. The primary aim of a TP is to improve quality of teaching by providing a structure for self-reflection, which in turn aids professional development in medical education. Contents typically include a personal statement on teaching, an overview of teaching accomplishments and activities, feedback from colleagues and learners, a reflective component and some examples of teaching material. Electronic portfolios are more portable and flexible compared to paper portfolios. Clinicians gain the most benefit from a TP when it is used as a tool for self-reflection of their teaching practice and not merely as a list of activities and achievements. This article explains why and how anaesthetists might use a TP as a tool for professional development in medical education.

  7. Preparing Future Biology Faculty: An Advanced Professional Development Program for Graduate Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lockwood, Stephanie A.; Miller, Amanda J.; Cromie, Meghan M.

    2014-01-01

    Formal professional development programs for biology graduate students interested in becoming faculty members have come far; however, programs that provide advanced teaching experience for seasoned graduate teaching assistants are scarce. We outline an advanced program that focuses on further training of graduate teaching assistants in pedagogy…

  8. Professional Development Needs of Idaho Technology Teachers: Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cannon, John G.; Kitchel, Allen; Duncan, Dennis W.; Arnett, Sally E.

    2011-01-01

    This study's purpose was to identify the teaching and learning professional development needs of [state] secondary technology teachers. Teachers' perceived level of importance and competence for 35 teaching and learning items were used to calculate mean weighted discrepancy scores (MWDS). Approximately 63% (n = 46) of [state] secondary technology…

  9. Saying vs. Doing: A Contradiction in the Professional Development of Foreign Language Teaching Assistants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angus, Katie

    2016-01-01

    Despite the sizeable portion of foreign language (FL) instruction provided by graduate students now as teaching assistants (TAs) and in the future as faculty, few studies have considered TAs' perspectives on their own professional development. To inform the professional development of FL graduate students as teachers, the present study updated and…

  10. An Innovative Model of Professional Development to Enhance the Teaching and Learning of Primary Science in Irish Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Greg

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the influence of a two-year professional development programme on primary teachers' attitudes towards primary science, their confidence and competence in teaching science, and pupils' attitudes towards school science. Unlike the traditional "one-size-fits all" model of professional development, the model developed…

  11. The Impact of a Practice-Teaching Professional Development Model on Teachers' Inquiry Instruction and Inquiry Efficacy Beliefs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lotter, Christine R.; Thompson, Stephen; Dickenson, Tammiee S.; Smiley, Whitney F.; Blue, Genine; Rea, Mary

    2018-01-01

    This study examined changes in middle school teachers' beliefs about inquiry, implementation of inquiry practices, and self-efficacy to teach science through inquiry after participating in a year-long professional development program. The professional development model design was based on Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory of learning and…

  12. Impact of a Professional Development Program Using Data-Loggers on Science Teachers' Attitudes towards Inquiry-Based Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tosa, Sachiko; Martin, Fred

    2010-01-01

    This study examined how a professional development program which incorporates the use of electronic data-loggers could impact on science teachers' attitudes towards inquiry-based teaching. The participants were 28 science or technology teachers who attended workshops offered in the United States and Japan. The professional development program…

  13. SPARCT: A STEM Professional Academy to Reinvigorate the Culture of Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frost, Laura; Greene, Jackie; Huffman, Tanya; Johnson, Brian; Kunberger, Tanya; Goodson, Ludwika

    2018-01-01

    In an attempt to address declining persistence rates of university STEM majors (Science, Teaching, Engineering, and Math), concerns regarding retention rates and waning STEM faculty participation in faculty development, we report on a year-long professional development program called the STEM Professional Academy to Reinvigorate the Culture of…

  14. Examination of the teaching styles of nursing professional development specialists, part II: correlational study on teaching styles and use of adult learning theory.

    PubMed

    Curran, Mary K

    2014-08-01

    This article, the second in a two-part series, details a correlational study that examined the effects of four variables (graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, nursing professional development [NPD] certification, and NPD specialist experience) on the use of adult learning theory to guide curriculum development. Using the Principles of Adult Learning Scale, 114 NPD specialists tested the hypothesis that NPD specialists with graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, NPD certification, and NPD experience would use higher levels of adult learning theory in their teaching practices to guide curriculum development than those without these attributes. This hypothesis was rejected as regression analysis revealed only one statistically significant predictor variable, NPD certification, influenced the use of adult learning theory. In addition, analysis revealed NPD specialists tended to support a teacher-centered rather than a learner-centered teaching style, indicating NPD educators are not using adult learning theory to guide teaching practices and curriculum development.

  15. Development Process of a Praxeology for Supporting the Teaching of Proofs in a CAS Environment Based on Teachers' Experience in a Professional Development Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zehavi, Nurit; Mann, Giora

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the development process of a "praxeology" (theory-of-practice) for supporting the teaching of proofs in a CAS environment. The characteristics of the praxeology were elaborated within the frame of a professional development course for teaching analytic geometry with CAS. The theoretical framework draws on Chevallard's…

  16. The Influence of Field Teaching Practice on Pre-service Teachers’ Professional Identity: A Mixed Methods Study

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Hongyu; Zhang, Xiaohui

    2017-01-01

    The current study used mixed methods to research pre-service teachers’ professional identity. Ninety-eight pre-service teachers were investigated and twelve teachers were interviewed in China. The results were as follows: (1) The results of quantitative data showed that compared with before the field teaching practice, pre-service teachers’ professional identity increased after the field teaching practice—specifically, intrinsic value identity increased, and extrinsic value identity did not significantly change; (2) The results of qualitative data validated and elaborated the results of quantitative data in more detail with regard to changes in professional identity. Specifically, compared with before the field teaching practice, intrinsic value identity including work content, work pattern, etc., increased and extrinsic value identity including work environment, income, and social status, etc., did not significantly change after experiencing teaching practice; (3) The results of qualitative data also showed that mentor support at field school promoted the development of pre-service teachers’ professional identity. Moreover, the development of pre-service teachers’ professional identity during field teaching practice further promoted their professional commitment; that is, it promoted their emotional evaluation and belief in the teaching profession. The study discussed these results and proposed solutions and suggestions for future studies. PMID:28790956

  17. The Influence of Field Teaching Practice on Pre-service Teachers' Professional Identity: A Mixed Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Hongyu; Zhang, Xiaohui

    2017-01-01

    The current study used mixed methods to research pre-service teachers' professional identity. Ninety-eight pre-service teachers were investigated and twelve teachers were interviewed in China. The results were as follows: (1) The results of quantitative data showed that compared with before the field teaching practice, pre-service teachers' professional identity increased after the field teaching practice-specifically, intrinsic value identity increased, and extrinsic value identity did not significantly change; (2) The results of qualitative data validated and elaborated the results of quantitative data in more detail with regard to changes in professional identity. Specifically, compared with before the field teaching practice, intrinsic value identity including work content, work pattern, etc., increased and extrinsic value identity including work environment, income, and social status, etc., did not significantly change after experiencing teaching practice; (3) The results of qualitative data also showed that mentor support at field school promoted the development of pre-service teachers' professional identity. Moreover, the development of pre-service teachers' professional identity during field teaching practice further promoted their professional commitment; that is, it promoted their emotional evaluation and belief in the teaching profession. The study discussed these results and proposed solutions and suggestions for future studies.

  18. Improving Teaching through Lesson Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rock, Tracy C.; Wilson, Cathy

    2005-01-01

    This article presents a professional development initiative developed by a university-school partnership based on the Japanese lesson-study model described by Stigler and Hiebert (1999) in "The Teaching Gap." Lesson study ("jugyoukenkyu"), an inquiry model of teacher professional development, is used extensively throughout…

  19. Teaching L2 Pragmatics: Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vellenga, Heidi

    2011-01-01

    Teaching L2 pragmatics is often not covered in teacher education programs, and is an excellent area for continuing professional development. As part of a larger project on instructed interlanguage pragmatics, volunteer instructor participants were asked to teach a series of lessons on pragmatics to university-aged (19-23) ESL learners in ESL and…

  20. Online Professional Development for University Teaching in Turkey: A Proposal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Latchem, Colin; Odabasi, Ferhan H.; Kabakci, Isil

    2006-01-01

    The following article discusses the worldwide need for professional development in university teaching and the kinds of initiative that are being introduced in some countries. It examines the case for adopting such measures in the Turkish higher education system to ensure quality in all forms of teaching and learning, both on-campus and…

  1. Collectively Improving Our Teaching: Attempting Biology Department-Wide Professional Development in Scientific Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owens, Melinda T.; Trujillo, Gloriana; Seidel, Shannon B.; Harrison, Colin D.; Farrar, Katherine M.; Benton, Hilary P.; Blair, J. R.; Boyer, Katharyn E.; Breckler, Jennifer L.; Burrus, Laura W.; Byrd, Dana T.; Caporale, Natalia; Carpenter, Edward J.; Chan, Yee-Hung M.; Chen, Joseph C.; Chen, Lily; Chen, Linda H.; Chu, Diana S.; Cochlan, William P.; Crook, Robyn J.; Crow, Karen D.; de la Torre, José R.; Denetclaw, Wilfred F.; Dowdy, Lynne M.; Franklin, Darleen; Fuse, Megumi; Goldman, Michael A.; Govindan, Brinda; Green, Michael; Harris, Holly E.; He, Zheng-Hui; Ingalls, Stephen B.; Ingmire, Peter; Johnson, Amber R. B.; Knight, Jonathan D.; LeBuhn, Gretchen; Light, Terrye L.; Low, Candace; Lund, Lance; Márquez-Magaña, Leticia M.; Miller-Sims, Vanessa C.; Moffatt, Christopher A.; Murdock, Heather; Nusse, Gloria L.; Parker, V. Thomas; Pasion, Sally G.; Patterson, Robert; Pennings, Pleuni S.; Ramirez, Julio C.; Ramirez, Robert M.; Riggs, Blake; Rohlfs, Rori V.; Romeo, Joseph M.; Rothman, Barry S.; Roy, Scott W.; Russo-Tait, Tatiane; Sehgal, Ravinder N. M.; Simonin, Kevin A.; Spicer, Greg S.; Stillman, Jonathon H.; Swei, Andrea; Timpe, Leslie C.; Vredenburg, Vance T.; Weinstein, Steven L.; Zink, Andrew G.; Kelley, Loretta A.; Domingo, Carmen R.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

    2018-01-01

    Many efforts to improve science teaching in higher education focus on a few faculty members at an institution at a time, with limited published evidence on attempts to engage faculty across entire departments. We created a long-term, department-wide collaborative professional development program, Biology Faculty Explorations in Scientific Teaching…

  2. Fostering Structurally Transformative Teacher Agency through Science Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rivera Maulucci, Maria S.; Brotman, Jennie S.; Fain, Shoshana Sprague

    2015-01-01

    This study draws on data from a 10-month critical narrative inquiry of science teaching and learning in a third grade, dual language, integrated co-teaching classroom. The teachers were participants in a 14-week science professional development seminar that enrolled inservice and preservice teachers and focused on enhancing science teaching and…

  3. Complicity or Multiplicity? Defining Boundaries for Graduate Teaching Assistant Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunn-Haley, Karen; Zanzucchi, Anne

    2012-01-01

    Professional development of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) regarding interpersonal boundaries is key not only to the well-being of the GTAs but also to the undergraduates they are teaching. GTAs who are developing their professional identities are a primary contact for undergraduates, especially in lower-division classes, and thus play a key…

  4. Improving Elementary Science Instruction and Student Achievement: The Impact of a Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borman, Kathryn M.; Cotner, Bridget A.; Lee, Reginald S.; Boydston, Theodore L.; Lanehart, Rheta

    2009-01-01

    This study was designed to establish the efficacy of Teaching SMART (Teaching Science, Mathematics and Relevant Technologies); a science professional development program for teachers with students in grades 3 through 5. Teaching SMART promotes scientific inquiry and emphasizes the importance of equity, empowerment, exploration, and fun in the…

  5. Professional Development Status of Teaching Staff in a Ugandan Public University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kasule, George Wilson; Wesselink, Renate; Mulder, Martin

    2016-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine general professional development activities perceived to be important in enhancing university teaching staff's job performance, and the extent to which teaching staff participate in these activities in Uganda. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with faculty deans and department heads (n = 20),…

  6. Reflective Teaching as Self-Directed Professional Development: Building Practical or Work-Related Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minott, Mark A.

    2010-01-01

    The broad purpose of this self-study is two-fold: first, to aid in redressing the lack of attention given to the professional development of teacher educators; and second, to forward the idea that teaching reflectively is not only an excellent framework through which self-directed professional development can be enacted, but it is also an…

  7. Teaching matters-academic professional development in the early 21st century.

    PubMed

    Fahnert, Beatrix

    2015-10-01

    Academic work at different career stages has changed and a broadened portfolio of expertise enables academics to adapt, maintain and advance their career. Development related to research activity is naturally driven by methodology and technology. Institutions and peers largely support development in the contexts of dissemination, measuring impact and obtaining funding. A European Commission High Level Group recommended pedagogic training for everyone teaching in Higher Education by 2020 with mandatory continuing professional development and with academic staff recruitment and promotion being linked to teaching performance. Early career teaching experience is already an expectation, and advantage is gained by developing recognized teaching expertise. More senior academics gain an advantage through recognition of higher levels of expertise, also covering elements of leadership and innovation in teaching. This review aims to raise awareness particularly of teaching-related skills within the dimensions of academic professional development in Higher Education, outlining some general directions for development and recognition in context of current challenges to support planning and identifying training needs and opportunities at different career stages. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved.

  8. Professionally Present--Highlighting the Temporal Aspect of Teachers' Professional Judgment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frelin, Anneli

    2014-01-01

    Novice teachers need to develop their professional judgment. Teaching is performed in the face of imperfect, complex but above all continuously emergent situations. These matters have not received adequate attention in theories relating to professional judgment and professionality in teaching or in the contemporary discourse of education policy.…

  9. The Impact of Collaborative Reflections on Teachers' Inquiry Teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R.; Yang, Kuay-keng; Lee, Sung-Tao

    2013-12-01

    This study investigates the impact of collaborative reflections on teachers' inquiry teaching practices and identifies supportive actions relating to their professional development. Three science teachers in the same elementary school worked as a cooperative and collaborative group. They attended workshops and worked collaboratively through observing colleagues' teaching practices and discussing with university professors about their own inquiry teaching. The pre- and post-treatment classroom observations and comparisons of their teaching reveal that the three teachers were more focussed on asking inquiry-oriented questions in the post-treatment teaching. With additional qualitative data analysis, this study identified supportive resources of professional development. Workshop training sessions and sample unit served as the initiative agent in the beginning stage. Discussions with peers and reflective observation of peer teaching acted as a facilitative agent. Finally, student responses and researchers' on-site visit comments worked as a catalytic agent for their professional development.

  10. Professional Development for Adjunct Teaching Faculty in a Research-Intensive University: Engagement in Scholarly Approaches to Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webb, Andrea S.; Wong, Tracy J.; Hubball, Harry T.

    2013-01-01

    Research-intensive universities around the world are increasingly drawing upon leading practitioners in professional fields as adjunct faculty to deliver high quality student learning experiences in diverse undergraduate and graduate program contexts. To support effective professional development in these contexts, many universities have developed…

  11. Supporting In-Service Teachers' Professional Teaching Knowledge with Educatively Scaffolded Digital Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Callahan, Cory; Saye, John; Brush, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    This article advances a continuing line of inquiry into the potential of digital educative curriculum materials to support teachers' development of professional teaching knowledge. Instead of standalone levers of change, the educative curricula in this study were featured resources within a novel professional development approach. The qualitative,…

  12. New Academics, New Higher Education Contexts: A Critical Perspective on Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Behari-Leak, Kasturi

    2017-01-01

    New academics entering higher education are especially vulnerable if teaching in a post-colonial classroom is not foregrounded as an explicit part of their professional induction. Drawing on a study of a professional development programme for induction to teaching, this paper explicates how six new academics confront specific challenges of…

  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. Collaborative Professional Development in Higher Education: Developing Knowledge of Technology Enhanced Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaipal-Jamani, Kamini; Figg, Candace; Gallagher, Tiffany; Scott, Ruth McQuirter; Ciampa, Katia

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a professional development initiative for teacher educators, called the "Digital Pedagogies Collaboration," in which the goal was to build faculty knowledge about technology enhanced teaching (TPACK knowledge), develop a collaborative learning and research community of faculty members around technology enhanced…

  15. Developing an Instrument for Self-Evaluation of Teaching and Learning Competencies: A Review of Faculty Professional Development and the Changing Higher Education Landscape in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheong, Grace

    2017-01-01

    This paper forms part of a doctoral study focused on the development and validation of an instrument for the self-evaluation of teaching and learning competencies for the purpose of faculty professional development. The rapid expansion of the higher education sector in Singapore has called for new approaches to university teaching that are…

  16. Combining Project-based Instruction, Earth Science Content, and GIS Technology in Teacher Professional Development: Is this Holistic Approach Sustainable?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rubino-Hare, L.; Bloom, N.; Claesgens, J.; Fredrickson, K.; Henderson-Dahms, C.; Sample, J. C.

    2012-12-01

    From 2009-2011, with support from the National Science Foundation (ITEST, DRL-0929846) and Science Foundation Arizona (MSAG-0412-09), educators, geologists and geographers at Northern Arizona University (NAU) partnered to offer professional development for interdisciplinary teams of secondary and middle school teachers with a focus on project-based instruction (PBI) using geospatial technologies (GST). While participating in professional development teachers received support and were held accountable to NAU staff. They implemented activities and pedagogical strategies presented, increased knowledge, skills, and confidence teaching with project-based instruction integrating GST, and their students demonstrated learning gains. Changes in student understanding are only observed when teachers continue to implement change, so the question remained: did these changes in practice sustain after official project support ended? In order to determine what, if anything, teachers sustained from the professional development and the factors that promoted or hindered sustained use of teaching with GST and PBI, data were collected one to two years following the professional development. Research questions included a) what pedagogical practices did teachers sustain following the professional learning experiences? and b) what contexts were present in schools that supported or limited the use of geospatial technologies as a teaching and learning tool? Findings from this study indicate that teachers fall into three categories of sustaining implementation - reformed implementers, mechanical implementers and non-implementers. School context was less of a factor in level of implementation than teachers' beliefs and philosophy of teaching and teachers' understanding of technology integration (teaching with technology vs. teaching technology). Case studies of teacher experiences will be presented along with implications for future professional development.

  17. Teaching professionalism in science courses: anatomy to zoology.

    PubMed

    Macpherson, Cheryl C

    2012-02-01

    Medical professionalism is reflected in attitudes, behaviors, character, and standards of practice. It is embodied by physicians who fulfill their duties to patients and uphold societies' trust in medicine. Professionalism requires familiarity with the ethical codes and standards established by international, governmental, institutional, or professional organizations. It also requires becoming aware of and responsive to societal controversies. Scientific uncertainty may be used to teach aspects of professionalism in science courses. Uncertainty about the science behind, and the health impacts of, climate change is one example explored herein that may be used to teach both professionalism and science. Many medical curricula provide students with information about professionalism and create opportunities for students to reflect upon and strengthen their individually evolving levels of professionalism. Faculties in basic sciences are rarely called upon to teach professionalism or deepen medical students understanding of professional standards, competencies, and ethical codes. However they have the knowledge and experience to develop goals, learning objectives, and topics relevant to professionalism within their own disciplines and medical curricula. Their dedication to, and passion for, science will support basic science faculties in designing innovative and effective approaches to teaching professionalism. This paper explores topics and formats that scientists may find useful in teaching professional attitudes, skills, and competencies in their medical curriculum. It highlights goals and learning objectives associated with teaching medical professionalism in the basic sciences. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. A Qualitative Review of Literature on Peer Review of Teaching in Higher Education: An Application of the SWOT Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Susan; Chie, Qiu Ting; Abraham, Mathew; Raj, Sony Jalarajan; Beh, Loo-See

    2014-01-01

    The issues of professional accountability, faculty member development, and enhancing higher education quality in universities are gaining importance. A strategy that could increase personal control over teaching practices in addition to improving professional development among faculty members is peer review of teaching (PRT). Five themes that are…

  19. Characterizing Teaching Assistants' Knowledge and Beliefs Following Professional Development Activities within an Inquiry-Based General Chemistry Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheeler, Lindsay B.; Maeng, Jennifer L.; Whitworth, Brooke A.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to explore changes in undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants' (TAs') content knowledge and beliefs about teaching within the context of an inquiry-based laboratory course. TAs received professional development (PD), which was informed by the TA training literature base and was designed for TAs…

  20. Examining the Internal Structure of the Test of English-for-Teaching ("TEFT"™). Research Report. ETS RR-15-16

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gu, Lin; Turkan, Sultan; Gomez, Pablo Garcia

    2015-01-01

    ELTeach is an online professional development program developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) in collaboration with National Geographic Learning. The ELTeach program consists of two courses: English-for-Teaching and Professional Knowledge for English Language Teaching (ELT). Each course includes a coordinated assessment leading to a score…

  1. Research and Teaching: Teaching Assistant and Faculty Perceptions of Ongoing, Personalized TA Professional Development: Initial Lessons and Plans for the Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ridgway, Judith S.; Ligocki, Isaac Y.; Horn, Jonathan D.; Szeyller, Erica; Breitenberger, Caroline A.

    2017-01-01

    Professional development (PD) for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) has been repeatedly emphasized as an essential component of future faculty training. Nonetheless, attempts to integrate PD programs into graduate curriculum are met with resistance from some stakeholders. The authors investigated stakeholders' perceptions of a novel GTA PD…

  2. A Veteran Special Education Teacher and a General Education Social Studies Teacher Model Co-Teaching: The CoPD Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas-Brown, Karen A.; Sepetys, Peggy

    2011-01-01

    This research explores using participant ethnography, the theoretical and practical underpinnings of the combination pedagogical approach of co-teaching and embedded professional development within the Co-teaching Professional Development Approach (CoPD). The structure of this approach is presented and the research findings examine the outcomes of…

  3. In Search of the Excellent Literature Teacher: An Inductive Approach to Constructing Professional Teaching Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witte, T. C. H.; Jansen, E. P. W. A.

    2015-01-01

    This study makes a contribution to the development of empirically based, domain-specific teaching standards that are acknowledged by the professional community of teachers and which, therefore, have a good chance of being successfully implemented and used for professional development purposes. It was prompted by the resistance on the part of many…

  4. Breaking the Cycle: Future Faculty Begin Teaching with Learner-Centered Strategies after Professional Development

    PubMed Central

    Ebert-May, Diane; Derting, Terry L.; Henkel, Timothy P.; Middlemis Maher, Jessica; Momsen, Jennifer L.; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A.

    2015-01-01

    The availability of reliable evidence for teaching practices after professional development is limited across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, making the identification of professional development “best practices” and effective models for change difficult. We aimed to determine the extent to which postdoctoral fellows (i.e., future biology faculty) believed in and implemented evidence-based pedagogies after completion of a 2-yr professional development program, Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST IV). Postdocs (PDs) attended a 2-yr training program during which they completed self-report assessments of their beliefs about teaching and gains in pedagogical knowledge and experience, and they provided copies of class assessments and video recordings of their teaching. The PDs reported greater use of learner-centered compared with teacher-centered strategies. These data were consistent with the results of expert reviews of teaching videos. The majority of PDs (86%) received video ratings that documented active engagement of students and implementation of learner-centered classrooms. Despite practice of higher-level cognition in class sessions, the items used by the PDs on their assessments of learning focused on lower-level cognitive skills. We attributed the high success of the FIRST IV program to our focus on inexperienced teachers, an iterative process of teaching practice and reflection, and development of and teaching a full course. PMID:26033870

  5. Teaching Motivations, Characteristics and Professional Growth: Results from the Great Expectations (GE) Programme in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomson, Margareta Maria; Turner, Jeannine

    2015-01-01

    This present study sought to explore reasons given by K-12 teachers about their motivation to remain in teaching, their motivation for engaging in professional development, and characteristics of their teaching. Participants (N = 151) were public teachers of different grade levels from the USA enrolled in a one-week professional development…

  6. Towards the Professionalization of Teaching in Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Obidi, Sam S.

    1975-01-01

    An argument is made for the professionalization of teachers in Africa, based on the proposition that the student-teacher relationship is similar to the doctor-patient relationship. Teachers' associations must work to professionalize teaching in order to promote societal development. (LBH)

  7. Examination of the Teaching Styles of Nursing Professional Development Specialists, Part II: Correlational Study on Teaching Styles and Use of Adult Learning Theory.

    PubMed

    Curran, Mary K

    2014-07-16

    This article, the second in a two-part series, details a correlational study that examined the effects of four variables (graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, nursing professional development [NPD] certification, and NPD specialist experience) on the use of adult learning theory to guide curriculum development. Using the Principles of Adult Learning Scale, 114 NPD specialists tested the hypothesis that NPD specialists with graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, NPD certification, and NPD experience would use higher levels of adult learning theory in their teaching practices to guide curriculum development than those without these attributes. This hypothesis was rejected as regression analysis revealed only one statistically significant predictor variable, NPD certification, influenced the use of adult learning theory. In addition, analysis revealed NPD specialists tended to support a teacher-centered rather than a learner-centered teaching style, indicating NPD educators are not using adult learning theory to guide teaching practices and curriculum development. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2014;45(8):xxx-xxx. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  8. Medical students' professional identity development from being actors in an objective structured teaching exercise.

    PubMed

    De Grasset, Jehanne; Audetat, Marie-Claude; Bajwa, Nadia; Jastrow, Nicole; Richard-Lepouriel, Hélène; Nendaz, Mathieu; Junod Perron, Noelle

    2018-04-22

    Medical students develop professional identity through structured activities and impromptu interactions in various settings. We explored if contributing to an Objective Structured Teaching Exercise (OSTE) influenced students' professional identity development. University clinical faculty members participated in a faculty development program on clinical supervision. Medical students who participated in OSTEs as simulated residents were interviewed in focus groups about what they learnt from the experience and how the experience influenced their vision of learning and teaching. Transcripts were analyzed using the Goldie's personality and social structure perspective model. Twenty-five medical students out of 32 students involved in OSTEs participated. On an institutional level, students developed a feeling of belonging to the institution. At an interactional level, students realized they could influence the teaching interaction by actively seeking or giving feedback. On the personal level, students realized that errors could become sources of learning and felt better prepared to receive faculty feedback. Taking part in OSTEs as a simulated resident has a positive impact on students' vision regarding the institution as a learning environment and their own role by actively seeking or giving feedback. OSTEs support their professional identity development regarding learning and teaching while sustaining faculty development.

  9. Declarative knowledge and professional vision in teacher education: effect of courses in teaching and learning.

    PubMed

    Stürmer, Kathleen; Könings, Karen D; Seidel, Tina

    2013-09-01

    Teachers' professional vision includes the ability to apply general pedagogical knowledge about components of effective teaching and learning to reason about significant features of classroom practice. It requires teachers to (a) describe, (b) explain, and (c) predict classroom situations. Although the acquisition of underling knowledge can be considered as a key element of university-based teacher education programmes, to date, there has been little empirical research on teacher candidates' development of professional vision. This study aims to improve understanding of how different university-based courses in teaching and learning impact the development of professional vision. Participants were teacher candidates (N= 53) attending the same teacher education programme at a German university. They were enrolled in one of three different compulsory courses in teaching and learning, lasting one semester. In a pre-test-post-test design, participants' declarative knowledge about teaching and learning was measured with a test, professional vision with the online tool Observer. Analysis of covariance and multivariate analysis of variance were conducted. Teacher candidates in all three courses showed significant gains both in declarative knowledge and professional vision. Patterns of results differed depending on the course attended. A video-based course with a focus on effective teaching resulted in highest gains in prediction of the consequences of observed events for student learning processes, which is the highest level of knowledge transfer. The development of professional vision is a strongly knowledge-guided process. In line with their content and aims, university-based courses can enhance teaching-relevant knowledge for teacher candidates. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

  10. Teaching practices and professional development of biology professors at small, private, liberal arts colleges in the Southeast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mallory, Sarah Elizabeth Bradford

    Science teaching in pre-college institutions has been undergoing reform in recent years, particularly since 1996, when the National Science Education Standards were published. This reform includes inquiry-based teaching, student-centered classrooms, authentic assessment, and collaborative learning. Professional development is also recommended in the Standards document as the means for preparing teachers for reform-based teaching in pre-college classrooms. In post-secondary institutions, there is no curriculum-governing body to institute reform, and college faculty have devised their own standards and methods for teaching science, most often in the form of lecture and traditional procedure-driven laboratory exercises. This study was conducted to find examples of reform-based biology teaching in small, private, liberal arts colleges in the Southeast, where teaching innovations may be more likely to occur due to the size and independence of the schools. Professional development opportunities were also examined, since these would be important in the development of new curricula and methods of teaching. Data were collected from 151 participants, representing 78.3% of these colleges in eight southeastern states, by survey and from three volunteers by on-site interviews. Teaching was the main responsibility reported by all respondents, with both lower and upper level biology courses taught by all participants. Significant differences were found in the use of reform-based teaching in lower level biology courses versus upper level biology courses. Overall average use of inquiry-based teaching was 70.5%, while student-centered learning was reported on average by 57% of respondents, authentic assessment was reported on average by 56.6% of respondents, and collaborative learning was reported on average by 56% of respondents. Professional development opportunities most frequently used were reported to be journal, books, and videotapes. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that professional development which involves contact with colleagues at other institutions explained the variance in teaching practices in the simplest model, although much of the variance in the dependent variables of teaching practices remains unexplained. Qualitative data from the survey and also from interviews with volunteers served to further explain and corroborate the quantitative findings.

  11. Beyond knowledge and skills: the use of a Delphi study to develop a technology-mediated teaching strategy.

    PubMed

    Rowe, Michael; Frantz, Jose; Bozalek, Vivienne

    2013-04-10

    While there is evidence to suggest that teaching practices in clinical education should include activities that more accurately reflect the real world, many educators base their teaching on transmission models that encourage the rote learning of knowledge and technical skills. Technology-mediated instruction may facilitate the development of professional attributes that go beyond "having" knowledge and skills, but there is limited evidence for how to integrate technology into these innovative teaching approaches. This study used a modified Delphi method to help identify the professional attributes of capable practitioners, the approaches to teaching that may facilitate the development of these attributes, and finally, how technology could be integrated with those teaching strategies in order to develop capable practitioners. Open-ended questions were used to gather data from three different expert panels, and results were thematically analysed. Clinical educators should not view knowledge, skills and attitudes as a set of products of learning, but rather as a set of attributes that are developed during a learning process. Participants highlighted the importance of continuing personal and professional development that emphasised the role of values and emotional response to the clinical context. To develop these attributes, clinical educators should use teaching activities that are learner-centred, interactive, integrated, reflective and that promote engagement. When technology-mediated teaching activities are considered, they should promote the discussion of clinical encounters, facilitate the sharing of resources and experiences, encourage reflection on the learning process and be used to access content outside the classroom. In addition, educational outcomes must drive the integration of technology into teaching practice, rather than the features of the technology. There is a need for a cultural change in clinical education, in which those involved with the professional training of healthcare professionals perceive teaching as more than the transmission of knowledge and technical skills. Process-oriented teaching practices that integrate technology as part of a carefully designed curriculum may have the potential to facilitate the development of capable healthcare graduates who are able to navigate the complexity of health systems and patient management in ways that go beyond the application of knowledge and skills.

  12. Beyond knowledge and skills: the use of a Delphi study to develop a technology-mediated teaching strategy

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background While there is evidence to suggest that teaching practices in clinical education should include activities that more accurately reflect the real world, many educators base their teaching on transmission models that encourage the rote learning of knowledge and technical skills. Technology-mediated instruction may facilitate the development of professional attributes that go beyond “having” knowledge and skills, but there is limited evidence for how to integrate technology into these innovative teaching approaches. Methods This study used a modified Delphi method to help identify the professional attributes of capable practitioners, the approaches to teaching that may facilitate the development of these attributes, and finally, how technology could be integrated with those teaching strategies in order to develop capable practitioners. Open-ended questions were used to gather data from three different expert panels, and results were thematically analysed. Results Clinical educators should not view knowledge, skills and attitudes as a set of products of learning, but rather as a set of attributes that are developed during a learning process. Participants highlighted the importance of continuing personal and professional development that emphasised the role of values and emotional response to the clinical context. To develop these attributes, clinical educators should use teaching activities that are learner-centred, interactive, integrated, reflective and that promote engagement. When technology-mediated teaching activities are considered, they should promote the discussion of clinical encounters, facilitate the sharing of resources and experiences, encourage reflection on the learning process and be used to access content outside the classroom. In addition, educational outcomes must drive the integration of technology into teaching practice, rather than the features of the technology. Conclusions There is a need for a cultural change in clinical education, in which those involved with the professional training of healthcare professionals perceive teaching as more than the transmission of knowledge and technical skills. Process-oriented teaching practices that integrate technology as part of a carefully designed curriculum may have the potential to facilitate the development of capable healthcare graduates who are able to navigate the complexity of health systems and patient management in ways that go beyond the application of knowledge and skills. PMID:23574731

  13. Does Context Matter? Convergent and Divergent Findings in the Cross-Institutional Evaluation of Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeves, Todd D.; Hake, Laura E.; Chen, Xinnian; Frederick, Jennifer; Rudenga, Kristin; Ludlow, Larry H.; O'Connor, Clare M.

    2018-01-01

    Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) play important instructional roles in introductory science courses, yet they often have little training in pedagogy. The most common form of teaching professional development (PD) for GTAs is a presemester workshop held at the course, department, or college level. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of…

  14. A Model for Using a Concept Inventory as a Tool for Students' Assessment and Faculty Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marbach-Ad, Gili; McAdams, Katherine C.; Benson, Spencer; Briken, Volker; Cathcart, Laura; Chase, Michael; El-Sayed, Najib M.; Frauwirth, Kenneth; Fredericksen, Brenda; Joseph, Sam W.; Lee, Vincent; McIver, Kevin S.; Mosser, David; Quimby, B. Booth; Shields, Patricia; Song, Wenxia; Stein, Daniel C.; Stewart, Richard; Thompson, Katerina V.; Smith, Ann C.

    2010-01-01

    This essay describes how the use of a concept inventory has enhanced professional development and curriculum reform efforts of a faculty teaching community. The Host Pathogen Interactions (HPI) teaching team is composed of research and teaching faculty with expertise in HPI who share the goal of improving the learning experience of students in…

  15. Concerns and Professional Development Needs of Faculty at King Abdul-Aziz University in Saudi Arabia in Adopting Online Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamal, Bakor

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate concerns regarding the adoption of online teaching as expressed by faculty and instructors in six departments in the College of Arts and Humanities at King Abdulaziz University. Additionally, it investigated faculty professional development needs in adopting online teaching. The data in this study were…

  16. Teaching Evaluation: Antecedents of Teachers' Perceived Usefulness of Follow-Up Sessions and Perceived Stress Related to the Evaluation Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lejonberg, Eli; Elstad, Eyvind; Christophersen, Knut Andreas

    2018-01-01

    This study examines teaching evaluation based on student feedback which is intended to contribute to teachers' professional development. Although studies have highlighted that teaching evaluation is a potential source of professional development and that follow-up sessions are crucial to this benefit, little attention has been paid to the…

  17. The Influence of Professional Development on Teachers' Implementation of the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Okseon; Choi, Euichang

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a professional development (PD) program on teachers' implementation of the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model, and to identify the characteristics of PD that influence teaching practice. The participants were six elementary school teachers and 12 students, and the data…

  18. A Model for the Professional Development of Teachers of Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adey, Philip

    2006-01-01

    Teaching for the development of students' thinking is not a straightforward matter. It requires pedagogical skills, which are different from those of normal good quality teaching for conceptual development. It follows that providing professional development (PD) for teachers of thinking is a "hard case"--we can learn much of general value to…

  19. Learning to Teach with the Web: Factors Influencing Teacher Education Faculty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grant, Michael M.

    2004-01-01

    Professional development at postsecondary institutions has primarily been supported through a central faculty development center. With purposive sampling, this small case study explored the ways in which teacher education faculty members were influenced to participate in decentralized professional development focused on learning to teach with…

  20. Educational Forum: A Journal of Teaching, Learning & Professional Development, Spring 1992.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fideler, Elizabeth F., Ed.

    1992-01-01

    Designed to promote discourse on teaching, learning, and professional development, this spring 1992 issue of Massachusetts Bay Community College's (MBCC's) "Educational Forum" documents modes of inquiry and faculty development activities that MBCC has found promising. The following articles are contained in the issue: (1) "Education Through…

  1. Teaching Assistant Professional Development in Biology: Designed for and Driven by Multidimensional Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyse, Sara A.; Long, Tammy M.; Ebert-May, Diane

    2014-01-01

    Graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are increasingly responsible for instruction in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Various professional development (PD) programs have been developed and implemented to prepare TAs for this role, but data about effectiveness are lacking and are derived almost…

  2. Statistics Graduate Students' Professional Development for Teaching: A Communities of Practice Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Justice, Nicola

    2007-01-01

    Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are responsible for instructing approximately 25% of introductory statistics courses in the United States (Blair, Kirkman, & Maxwell, 2013). Most research on GTA professional development focuses on structured activities (e.g., courses, workshops) that have been developed to improve GTAs' pedagogy and content…

  3. Professional Development in Person: Identity and the Construction of Teaching within a High School Science Department

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deneroff, Victoria

    2016-01-01

    This is a narrative inquiry into the role of professional development in the construction of teaching practice by an exemplary urban high school science teacher. I collected data during 3 years of ethnographic participant observation in Marie Gonzalez's classroom. Marie told stories about her experiences in ten years of professional development…

  4. Teaching Neuroscience to Science Teachers: Facilitating the Translation of Inquiry-Based Teaching Instruction to the Classroom

    PubMed Central

    Roehrig, G. H.; Michlin, M.; Schmitt, L.; MacNabb, C.; Dubinsky, J. M.

    2012-01-01

    In science education, inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning provide a framework for students to building critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Teacher professional development has been an ongoing focus for promoting such educational reforms. However, despite a strong consensus regarding best practices for professional development, relatively little systematic research has documented classroom changes consequent to these experiences. This paper reports on the impact of sustained, multiyear professional development in a program that combined neuroscience content and knowledge of the neurobiology of learning with inquiry-based pedagogy on teachers’ inquiry-based practices. Classroom observations demonstrated the value of multiyear professional development in solidifying adoption of inquiry-based practices and cultivating progressive yearly growth in the cognitive environment of impacted classrooms. PMID:23222837

  5. Teaching neuroscience to science teachers: facilitating the translation of inquiry-based teaching instruction to the classroom.

    PubMed

    Roehrig, G H; Michlin, M; Schmitt, L; MacNabb, C; Dubinsky, J M

    2012-01-01

    In science education, inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning provide a framework for students to building critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Teacher professional development has been an ongoing focus for promoting such educational reforms. However, despite a strong consensus regarding best practices for professional development, relatively little systematic research has documented classroom changes consequent to these experiences. This paper reports on the impact of sustained, multiyear professional development in a program that combined neuroscience content and knowledge of the neurobiology of learning with inquiry-based pedagogy on teachers' inquiry-based practices. Classroom observations demonstrated the value of multiyear professional development in solidifying adoption of inquiry-based practices and cultivating progressive yearly growth in the cognitive environment of impacted classrooms.

  6. 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…

  7. The Master's in Teaching and Learning: Expanding Utilitarianism in the Continuing Professional Development of Teachers in England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frankham, Jo; Hiett, Sandra

    2011-01-01

    The article focuses on the policy rhetoric of the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL). This is a new degree being launched in the summer of 2010 aimed, initially, at teachers who have just joined the profession. The degree presages the aspiration for a Master's level teaching profession in England. Professional development as conceived in the…

  8. Teaching Energy Science as Inquiry: Reflections on Professional Development as a Tool to Build Inquiry Teaching Skills for Middle and High School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seraphin, Kanesa Duncan; Philippoff, Joanna; Parisky, Alex; Degnan, Katherine; Warren, Diana Papini

    2013-01-01

    A hybrid (face-to-face and online) professional development (PD) course focused on energy science for middle and high school teachers (N = 47) was conducted using the teaching science as inquiry (TSI) framework. Data from the PD indicates that online opportunities enhanced participation and that the TSI structure improved teachers' inquiry…

  9. Using a Moodle-Based Professional Development Program to Train Science Teachers to Teach for Creativity and Its Effectiveness on Their Teaching Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.; Al-Abdali, Nasser S.

    2015-01-01

    This study describes a distance learning professional development program that we designed for the purpose of training science teachers to teach for creativity. The Moodle platform was used to host the training. To ensure that trainees would benefit from this distance learning program, we designed the instructional activities according to the…

  10. Mathematics Efficacy and Professional Development Needs of Wyoming Agricultural Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haynes, J. Chris; Stripling, Christopher T.

    2014-01-01

    School-based agricultural education programs provide contextualized learning environments for the teaching of core academic subject matter. This study sought to examine the mathematics efficacy and professional development needs of Wyoming agricultural education teachers related to teaching contextualized mathematics. Wyoming agricultural…

  11. 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)…

  12. 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 significant changes in teachers' science process skills. Of particular significance, the changes in teachers' science teaching perceptions, concerns, and science process skills held constant one year after removal of the professional development support.

  13. Qualification Journey in Teacher Training: Case in Northern Cyprus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erden, Hale

    2016-01-01

    Problem Statement: The identification of professional teaching standards has great value on initial teacher training, hiring teachers, assessing teacher performance, as well as planning and organizing teacher professional development. In Northern Cyprus there are not any identified professional teaching standards. This study aimed at filling this…

  14. Teachers' perceptions and use of a large-scale science education reform initiative for middle schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pistorius, Carolyn Sue

    Reform efforts in science education have been increasing over the past decade. This quantitative design study explored middle school teachers' perceptions and attitudes about one such reform effort. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from teachers and their classrooms. The population consisted of all of the middle school science teachers who had completed at least one two-week session of professional development in the University of Alabama in Huntsville in-service region. The teachers were all involved in the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). This initiative provided professional development and complete science modules, including materials for all K-8 teachers of science to use. Middle school teachers' (grades 6-8) perceptions, attitudes, and information about classroom decisions in teaching science using the AMSTI were obtained through the uses of the AMSTI Science Questionnaire, teacher interviews and classroom observations using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). Quantitative data were analyzed using ANOVA, chi-square, Tukey HSD statistical analyses. Qualitative data involved transcribing, coding, and determination of emerging themes. The AMSTI Science Questionnaire was found to have evidence of reliability and validity for the determination of the impact of professional development on teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards teaching science in their classrooms. Results of this study demonstrated that the more professional development experienced by the teachers was related to the number of lessons that the teachers used from the AMSTI modules. The amount of professional development was also related to the amount of time spent teaching and quality of the teaching as rated using the Reformed Teacher Observation Protocol. The more professional development the teachers received, the higher they self-reported their level of expertise in teaching the AMSTI science modules. Some of the strengths of the initiative included easy access to all materials necessary for teaching hands-on science, the availability of science specialists who come to the schools, and the professional development offered during the Summer Institutes. Some of the limitations of the initiative included a lack of communication between teachers and those involved with materials management. There were also materials management issues on utilization of science materials in the schools.

  15. Features of an Emerging Practice and Professional Development in a Science Teacher Team Collaboration with a Researcher Team

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olin, Anette; Ingerman, Åke

    2016-01-01

    This study concerns teaching and learning development in science through collaboration between science teachers and researchers. At the core was the ambition to integrate research outcomes of science education--here "didactic models"--with teaching practice, aligned with professional development. The phase where the collaboration moves…

  16. "Prime Online": Developing Grades 3-5 Teachers' Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics in an Online Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pape, Stephen J.; Prosser, Sherri K.; Griffin, Cynthia C.; Dana, Nancy Fichtman; Algina, James; Bae, Jungah

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to identify components of an asynchronous online teacher professional development program, "Prime Online," that potentially affected participants' mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT). Twenty-three third- through fifth-grade general education and special education teachers completed a yearlong online teacher…

  17. Open Lessons: A Practice to Develop a Learning Community for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shen, Jianping; Zhen, Jinzhou; Poppink, Sue

    2007-01-01

    Interest in improving the quality of professional development in this age of educational reform has intensified as a growing body of research suggests that teaching practices matter in terms of student achievement. Some have argued for embedding professional development in the context of teachers' work in order to transform both teaching practices…

  18. Adult Professional Development: Can Brain-Based Teaching Strategies Increase Learning Effectiveness?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tilton, Wendy

    2011-01-01

    Brain-based teaching strategies, compared to facilitative student-centered teaching strategies, were employed with 62 real estate professionals in a quasi-mixed-methods study. Participants attended a 2-day proprietary real estate continuing education course. Both the experimental and control groups received the same facilitative instruction, as…

  19. Choosing Excellence: National Board Certification. Q & A Guide for Teachers and Other Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, 2009

    2009-01-01

    National Board Certification is administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, to advance the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards for accomplished teaching, creating a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards and integrating certified teachers into educational reform…

  20. Assessing faculty professional development in STEM higher education: Sustainability of outcomes.

    PubMed

    Derting, Terry L; Ebert-May, Diane; Henkel, Timothy P; Maher, Jessica Middlemis; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A

    2016-03-01

    We tested the effectiveness of Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching IV (FIRST), a professional development program for postdoctoral scholars, by conducting a study of program alumni. Faculty professional development programs are critical components of efforts to improve teaching and learning in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines, but reliable evidence of the sustained impacts of these programs is lacking. We used a paired design in which we matched a FIRST alumnus employed in a tenure-track position with a non-FIRST faculty member at the same institution. The members of a pair taught courses that were of similar size and level. To determine whether teaching practices of FIRST participants were more learner-centered than those of non-FIRST faculty, we compared faculty perceptions of their teaching strategies, perceptions of environmental factors that influence teaching, and actual teaching practice. Non-FIRST and FIRST faculty reported similar perceptions of their teaching strategies and teaching environment. FIRST faculty reported using active learning and interactive engagement in lecture sessions more frequently compared with non-FIRST faculty. Ratings from external reviewers also documented that FIRST faculty taught class sessions that were learner-centered, contrasting with the teacher-centered class sessions of most non-FIRST faculty. Despite marked differences in teaching practice, FIRST and non-FIRST participants used assessments that targeted lower-level cognitive skills. Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of the FIRST program and the empirical utility of comparison groups, where groups are well matched and controlled for contextual variables (for example, departments), for evaluating the effectiveness of professional development for subsequent teaching practices.

  1. Assessing faculty professional development in STEM higher education: Sustainability of outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Derting, Terry L.; Ebert-May, Diane; Henkel, Timothy P.; Maher, Jessica Middlemis; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A.

    2016-01-01

    We tested the effectiveness of Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching IV (FIRST), a professional development program for postdoctoral scholars, by conducting a study of program alumni. Faculty professional development programs are critical components of efforts to improve teaching and learning in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines, but reliable evidence of the sustained impacts of these programs is lacking. We used a paired design in which we matched a FIRST alumnus employed in a tenure-track position with a non-FIRST faculty member at the same institution. The members of a pair taught courses that were of similar size and level. To determine whether teaching practices of FIRST participants were more learner-centered than those of non-FIRST faculty, we compared faculty perceptions of their teaching strategies, perceptions of environmental factors that influence teaching, and actual teaching practice. Non-FIRST and FIRST faculty reported similar perceptions of their teaching strategies and teaching environment. FIRST faculty reported using active learning and interactive engagement in lecture sessions more frequently compared with non-FIRST faculty. Ratings from external reviewers also documented that FIRST faculty taught class sessions that were learner-centered, contrasting with the teacher-centered class sessions of most non-FIRST faculty. Despite marked differences in teaching practice, FIRST and non-FIRST participants used assessments that targeted lower-level cognitive skills. Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of the FIRST program and the empirical utility of comparison groups, where groups are well matched and controlled for contextual variables (for example, departments), for evaluating the effectiveness of professional development for subsequent teaching practices. PMID:27034985

  2. Getting More Scientists to Revamp Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vicens, Quentin; Caspersen, Michael E.

    2014-01-01

    Despite extensive evidence in favor of student-centered teaching practices over traditional lecturing, most science faculty do not embrace these modes of instruction. Professional development efforts are plentiful, but they can lack in impact or scalability, or both. The factors that determine professional development quality within a research…

  3. Online Teaching Needs Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holland, Glenda; Sivakumaran, Thillainatarajan; Dawson, Marcus Dewayne; Davis, Lucy; Choi, Yung Yu; Absher, Ashley

    2010-01-01

    The study utilized a descriptive research approach to analyze the professional development needs of participants. Researchers for this study wanted to know the kinds of support and incentives that are being offered for faculty members who are teaching online courses, the kinds of professional development opportunities that are being offered, the…

  4. Learning from Team Teaching and Beyond: A Case Study on EFL Teachers' Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Cheryl Wei-yu; Cheng, Yuh-show

    2014-01-01

    Framed in the sociocultural theory, this case study was designed to investigate teachers' professional growth as situated in team teaching and the larger teaching context. The participants were one pair of Taiwanese and foreign English teachers who were in their first year of practicing team teaching in an elementary school in Hsinchu City,…

  5. Science-for-Teaching Discourse in Science Teachers' Professional Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lohwasser, Karin

    2013-01-01

    Professional learning communities (PLCs) provide an increasingly common structure for teachers' professional development. The effectiveness of PLCs depends on the content and quality of the participants' discourse. This dissertation was conducted to add to an understanding of the science content needed to prepare to teach science, and the…

  6. Talk That Teaches: How to Promote Professional Dialogue and Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibbons, Lynsey; Knapp, Melinda

    2015-01-01

    What types of talk promote teachers' professional growth? In the following vignettes, 4th-grade teachers and instructional leaders examine student work and observe classroom instruction. These learning designs encourage teachers to talk in ways that develop a shared understanding of teaching, which is instrumental to their professional growth…

  7. Assessing Professionalism: A Theoretical Framework for Defining Clinical Rotation Assessment Criteria.

    PubMed

    Armitage-Chan, Elizabeth

    Although widely accepted as an important graduate competence, professionalism is a challenging outcome to define and assess. Clinical rotations provide an excellent opportunity to develop student professionalism through the use of experiential learning and effective feedback, but without appropriate theoretical frameworks, clinical teachers may find it difficult to identify appropriate learning outcomes. The adage "I know it when I see it" is unhelpful in providing feedback and guidance for student improvement, and criteria that are more specifically defined would help students direct their own development. This study sought first to identify how clinical faculty in one institution currently assess professionalism, using retrospective analysis of material obtained in undergraduate teaching and faculty development sessions. Subsequently, a faculty workshop was held in which a round-table type discussion sought to develop these ideas and identify how professionalism assessment could be improved. The output of this session was a theoretical framework for teaching and assessing professionalism, providing example assessment criteria and ideas for clinical teaching. This includes categories such as client and colleague interaction, respect and trust, recognition of limitations, and understanding of different professional identities. Each category includes detailed descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and behaviors expected of students in these areas. The criteria were determined by engaging faculty in the development of the framework, and therefore they should represent a focused development of criteria already used to assess professionalism, and not a novel and unfamiliar set of assessment guidelines. The faculty-led nature of this framework is expected to facilitate implementation in clinical teaching.

  8. 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…

  9. Communication in Health Professions: A European consensus on inter- and multi-professional learning objectives in German.

    PubMed

    Bachmann, Cadja; Kiessling, Claudia; Härtl, Anja; Haak, Rainer

    2016-01-01

    Communication is object of increasing attention in the health professions. Teaching communication competencies should already begin in undergraduate education or pre-registration training. The aim of this project was to translate the Health Professions Core Communication Curriculum (HPCCC), an English catalogue of learning objectives, into German to make its content widely accessible in the German-speaking countries. This catalogue lists 61 educational objectives and was agreed on by 121 international communication experts. A European reference framework for inter- and multi-professional curriculum development for communication in the health professions in German-speaking countries should be provided. The German version of the HPCCC was drafted by six academics and went through multiple revisions until consensus was reached. The learning objectives were paired with appropriate teaching and assessment tools drawn from the database of the teaching Committee of the European Association for Communication Health Care (tEACH). The HPCCC learning objectives are now available in German and can be applied for curriculum planning and development in the different German-speaking health professions, the educational objectives can also be used for inter-professional purposes. Examples for teaching methods and assessment tools are given for using and implementing the objectives. The German version of the HPCCC with learning objectives for communication in health professions can contribute significantly to inter- and multi-professional curriculum development in the health care professions in the German-speaking countries. Examples for teaching methods and assessment tools from the materials compiled by tEACH supplement the curricular content and provide suggestions for practical implementation of the learning objectives in teaching and assessment. The relevance of the German HPCCC to the processes of curriculum development for the various health professions and inter-professional approaches should be the subject of further evaluation.

  10. Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Their Professional Teaching Competencies: Differences between Teachers of Math/Science Majors and Non-Math/Science Majors in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Li-Chen; Chao, Li-ling; Cheng, Pi-Yun; Tuan, Hsiao-Lin; Guo, Chorng-Jee

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to probe the differences of perceived professional teaching competence between elementary school math/science teachers in Taiwan who are majored in math/science and those who are not. A researcher-developed Math/Science Teachers' Professional Development Questionnaire was used in a nationwide survey, using a two-stage…

  11. Case Studies of the Development of Science Teachers' Practices of Socio-Scientific Issue (SSI)-Based Teaching through a Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pitiporntapin, Sasithep; Srisakuna, Suchada

    2017-01-01

    This research aimed to assess three case studies of in-service science teachers regarding their practices of socio-scientific issue (SSI)-based teaching as they participated in a specially developed professional development (PD) program. Data were collected throughout the PD program from group discussions, observations, interviews, and the review…

  12. Biology Teachers' Professional Development Needs for Teaching Evolution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedrichsen, Patricia J.; Linke, Nicholas; Barnett, Ellen

    2016-01-01

    The social controversy surrounding the teaching of evolution puts pressure on secondary biology teachers to deemphasize or omit evolution from their curriculum. In this growing pressure, professional development can offer support to biology teachers. In this study, we surveyed secondary biology teachers in Missouri and report the data from…

  13. Caricature and Hyperbole in Preservice Teacher Professional Development for Diversity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pollock, Mica; Bocala, Candice; Deckman, Sherry L.; Dickstein-Staub, Shari

    2016-01-01

    Professional development (PD) "for diversity" aims to prepare teachers to support students from varying backgrounds to succeed, often in under-resourced contexts. Although many teachers invite such inquiry as part of learning to teach, others resist "diversity" inquiry as extra to teaching, saying they cannot "do it…

  14. Factors Affecting Teachers' Continuation of Technology Use in Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafyulilo, Ayoub; Fisser, Petra; Voogt, Joke

    2016-01-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the continuation of technology use in science and mathematics teaching of the teachers who attended a professional development program between 2010 and 2012. Continuation of technology use was hypothesized to be affected by the professional development program and by personal, institutional, and…

  15. The Work, Perceptions and Professional Development of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silva, Ana Maria; Herdeiro, Rosalinda

    2014-01-01

    This article presents work from an ongoing investigation, where the objective is to understand the impact of recent Portuguese legislation--the Teaching Career Statute and its respective Evaluation of Teacher Performance regulations--on the (re)construction of teacher identity, the teaching career and professional development. From an analysis of…

  16. Collaborative Online Professional Development for Teachers in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teräs, Hanna

    2016-01-01

    Enhancing teaching quality has become a priority for many universities. The need for high-quality professional development for university teachers is therefore crucial. Earlier research has indicated that isolated workshops often fail to result in significant changes in teaching practice. It has been suggested that the desired transformation…

  17. Supporting Novice Special Education Teachers through Quality Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tate, Mary E.

    2013-01-01

    The special education teaching environment is a teaching environment with unique duties that often challenge novice special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain clarity of the work environment of special education teachers to uncover professional development practices that would work to support them. Research…

  18. Continued Effort and Success: An Urban Professional School Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corrigan, Diane G.; Weber, Edward J.; Francis, Kiffany

    2013-01-01

    The PDS partnership between the Cleveland State University Master of Urban Secondary Teaching (MUST) program and the Cleveland School of Science and Medicine (CSSM) has an established history of preparing educators to teach in urban schools. Recently awarded the NAPDS Award for Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement, this…

  19. A Study of Strengthening Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge of Statistics and Probability via Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeVaul, Lina

    2017-01-01

    A professional development program (PSPD) was implemented to improve in-service secondary mathematics teachers' content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and self-efficacy in teaching secondary school statistics and probability. Participants generated a teaching resource website at the conclusion of the PSPD program. Participants' content…

  20. Co-Teaching: The Importance of Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnes, Greg

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the impact co-teaching professional development has had on teacher attitude and classroom practices in a secondary, middle school setting. Methodology: This qualitative case study design included the use of best practice checklists and personal interviews. Educators from a middle…

  1. College Instructors' Implicit Theories about Teaching Skills and Their Relationship to Professional Development Choices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thadani, V.; Breland, W.; Dewar, J.

    2010-01-01

    Implicit theories about the malleability of skills/abilities have been shown to predict learners' willingness to participate in learning opportunities. The authors examined whether college professors' implicit theories about the malleability of teaching skills predicted their willingness to engage in professional development (PD) related to…

  2. Teachers' perceptions on primary science teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kijkuakul, Sirinapa

    2018-01-01

    This qualitative research aimed to review what primary teachers think about how to teach science in rural school contexts. Three primary schools in Thailand were purposively chosen for this study. Eleven primary science teachers of these schools were the research participants. Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were implemented to reveal the primary school teachers' educational backgrounds, science teaching context, and need for self-driven professional development. Content and discourse analysis indicated that the non-science educational background and the science teaching context implied a need for self-driven professional development. The non-science educational background teachers were generally unfamiliar with the current national science curriculum, and that they would not be comfortable when the researcher observed their science teaching practice. They also believed that experimentation was the only one strategy for teaching science, and that the priority for their teaching support was teaching media rather than their understanding of scientific concepts or teaching strategies. As implication of this research, subsequent developments on science teacher profession in rural context, therefore, need to promote teachers' understandings of nature of science and technological and pedagogical content knowledge. In addition, they should be challenged to practice on critically participatory action research for academic growth and professional learning community.

  3. A Research-Informed, School-Based Professional Development Workshop Programme to Promote Dialogic Teaching with Interactive Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hennessy, Sara; Dragovic, Tatjana; Warwick, Paul

    2018-01-01

    The study reported in this article investigated the influence of a research-informed, school-based, professional development workshop programme on the quality of classroom dialogue using the interactive whiteboard (IWB). The programme aimed to develop a dialogic approach to teaching and learning mediated through more interactive uses of the IWB,…

  4. Teachers' Perceptions of the Impact of Professional Development on Learning and Teaching in a Developing Nation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohan, Parmeshwar Prasad; Lingam, Govinda Ishwar; Chand, Deepa Dewali

    2017-01-01

    This research examined teachers' perceptions of the impact of Professional Development (PD) programmes on learning and teaching in two Fijian secondary schools. Through a qualitative research design, data were gathered using document analysis and semi-structured interviews with 30 teachers from the two case study schools. The major findings to…

  5. i-STEM Summer Institute: An Integrated Approach to Teacher Professional Development in STEM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nadelson, Louis S.; Seifert, Anne; Moll, Amy J.; Coats, Bradley

    2012-01-01

    The importance of STEM education to societal developments provides justification for assuring K-12 teachers are prepared to teach the related content. Inservice teacher professional development is critical to achieving the goal of enhanced student knowledge of STEM. Combining the need for increased capacity to teach STEM and the extant literature…

  6. Development of an Evidence-Based Professional Learning Program Informed by Online Teachers' Self- Efficacy and Threshold Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gosselin, Kevin P.; Northcote, Maria; Reynaud, Daniel; Kilgour, Peter; Anderson, Malcolm; Boddey, Chris

    2016-01-01

    As online education continues to expand across varied educational sectors, so does the demand for professional development programs to guide academic teaching staff through the processes of developing their capacities to design and teach online courses. To meet these challenges at one higher education institution, a mixed methods research study…

  7. 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…

  8. Shifting Academic Careers: Implications for Enhancing Professionalism in Teaching and Supporting Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Locke, William

    2014-01-01

    This Higher Education Academy (HEA) commissioned report provides a brief review of literature focusing on the changing nature of academic careers in the higher education sector, including any shift towards "teaching only" contracts. It also identifies key issues in terms of teaching and learning, continuing professional development and…

  9. Teaching as a Moral Practice: Defining, Developing, and Assessing Professional Dispositions in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murrell, Peter C., Jr., Ed.; Diez, Mary E., Ed.; Feiman-Nemser, Sharon, Ed.; Schussler, Deborah L., Ed.

    2010-01-01

    Sometimes understood as habits of mind, "dispositions" represents a new concept in teacher education. Conversations about professional dispositions in teaching often touch on issues such as attitudes, values, moral commitment, and social justice. Based on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education's Task Force on Teaching as a…

  10. Teachers Teaching Teachers (T3)[TM]. Volume 4, Number 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Frank, Valerie, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    "Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' roles in the professional development of teachers. Each issue also explores the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Learning Cycle Spins Individuals into a Team (Valerie von Frank); (2) NSDC Tool: The Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle; (3)…

  11. Collaborative Professional Learning through Lesson Study: Identifying the Challenges of Inquiry-Based Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gutierez, Sally Baricaua

    2015-01-01

    In the Philippines, inquiry-based teaching has been promoted and implemented together with recently instigated curriculum reforms. Serious teacher professional development efforts are being used extensively to properly orient and present the benefits of inquirybased teaching. Despite these efforts, there still exists a big gap in the effective…

  12. Teaching Experience and Perceived Challenges for School Administrators Regarding Job Stress, Respect, Student Achievement, Assessment & Evaluation, and Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, Erika Hope

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether an administrators' professional teaching background and years of administrative experience influence their perceptions of the opportunities and challenges they face guiding the improvement of teaching and learning. Specifically this research analyzed administrators' perceptions of…

  13. 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 demonstrates the nature of PD in the context of Thailand in a holistic view to understand knowledge, orientation, and implementation of professional developers and professional development participants. Furthermore, the findings have implications for professional development and professional developers in Thailand and include worldwide with respect to promoting sustain and intensive professional development and developing professional developers.

  14. Guidance for Professionals Working with Newborns and Their Families: Pathways to Positive Parenting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pearson, Jolene

    2016-01-01

    Parents of newborns and infants are especially open to learning, and many new parents are actively seeking information. What do professionals teach them? How do they teach them? "Pathways" is an educator's guide to educating and supporting new parents. "Pathways" guides professionals in developing an approach to parent…

  15. Elementary School English Teachers' Professional Learning from Teaching Demonstrations as Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chien, Chin-Wen

    2017-01-01

    This study used interviews, observations and documentary evidence to analyze the professional learning of sixteen elementary school English teachers and two expert teachers during the pre-observation conference, observation, and post-observation conference from three-step teaching demonstrations. This study has the following major findings. First,…

  16. "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…

  17. 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…

  18. 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…

  19. Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Co-Teaching of Professional Development School Teachers and University Faculty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King-McKenzie, Ethel; Delacruz, Stacy; Bantwini, Bongani; Bogan, Barry

    2013-01-01

    classroom instruction, and professional growth for all participants. Using focus group interviews as a unit of analysis, this article explores pre-service teachers' perceptions of co-teaching used in…

  20. A situation analysis of inter-professional education and practice for ethics and professionalism training at Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

    PubMed

    Byakika-Kibwika, Pauline; Kutesa, Annet; Baingana, Rhona; Muhumuza, Christine; Kitutu, Freddy Eric; Mwesigwa, Catherine; Chalo, Rose Nabirye; Sewankambo, Nelson K

    2015-10-23

    Students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) are introduced to ethics and professionalism using the inter-professional education (IPE) model. Ethics and professionalism should be running themes throughout succeeding years of study during which students are expected to develop qualities and skills for future inter-professional practice (IPP). We performed a situation analysis of IPE and IPP among students and teaching health professionals at MakCHS to guide development of a relevant training curriculum of ethics and professionalism. A cross sectional study with quantitative and qualitative methods which included questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. We interviewed 236 undergraduate students (148, 63 % male) and 32 teaching health professionals (25, 78 % male). Two hundred fifteen (91 %) students indicated they had joint learning activities with students of other professions and 166 (70 %) stated there was benefit in having an IPE model training curriculum. Most students (140, 59 %) strongly agreed that learning with other students will make them more effective members of the health team. Whereas the respondents reported inter professionalism as being well articulated in their course curricula, more than half said IPE is only implemented in the pre-clinical years of study. They noted that IPE and IPP concepts were not well programmed, health professionals engaged in teaching had poor attitudes towards IPE and IPP, there were limited numbers of skilled health care workers to implement IPP and there was poor communication between students and teaching health professionals. Majority of teaching health professionals noted challenges in implementation of IPE such as poor coordination and large student population and major factors influencing ethics and professionalism in healthcare such as limited government support, low pay for the health care workers, disrespect and lack of appreciation of the health workers by the public. Our findings demonstrate that IPE, IPP, ethics and professionalism are not emphasized in the clinical years of study at MakCHS. We recommend increased sensitization on the concepts of IPE and IPP plus enhanced mentorship for both students and teaching health professionals. Innovative strategies of implementation of IPE and IPP for training in ethics and professionalism must be introduced.

  1. Innovative Web-Based Professional Development for Teachers of At-Risk Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kinzie, Mable B.; Whitaker, Stephen D.; Neesen, Kathy; Kelley, Michael; Matera, Michael; Pianta, Robert C.

    2006-01-01

    Research suggests the importance of professional development for teachers of at-risk children, and while educational technologies can be harnessed to help support teaching practice in innovative ways, such programs are often limited in scale. "My Teaching Partner (MTP)" was designed to deliver a targeted program of professional…

  2. English-Teaching Problems in Thailand and Thai Teachers' Professional Development Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noom-ura, Sripathum

    2013-01-01

    This study surveys problems with English language teaching and learning and the professional development (PD) needs of high-school teachers in three provinces of three Secondary Educational Service Areas in Thailand. Both closed-and open-ended questionnaires were employed. The data was analyzed by frequency distribution and percentage; the…

  3. Perceptions and Uses of Digital Badges for Professional Learning Development in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dyjur, Patti; Lindstrom, Gabrielle

    2017-01-01

    Few instructors in higher education have completed a formal teaching program and, therefore, rely on informal professional development opportunities to enhance their teaching practice. Micro-credentialing in the form of digital badges is one way in which instructors can document their non-credit learning and accomplishments. This mixed methods…

  4. Teaching, as Learning, as Inquiry: Moving beyond Activity in the Analysis of Teaching Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandoval, William A.; Deneroff, Victoria; Franke, Megan L.

    This paper describes an ongoing high school science teacher professional development project, Beyond Final Form Science, that focuses on developing teachers' ideas of scientific inquiry and inquiry pedagogy. It analyzes the first several months of the project, highlighting analyses of teachers' interactions during monthly professional development…

  5. How Teachers' Beliefs about Learning and Teaching Relate to Their Continuing Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Vries, Siebrich; van de Grift, Wim J. C. M.; Jansen, Ellen P. W. A.

    2014-01-01

    Teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) can improve teacher quality and teaching practice, yet teachers differ greatly in the extent to which they engage in CPD. In extensive research into which factors affect teachers' participation in CPD, the effects of teachers' beliefs have received limited attention, despite their strong…

  6. Authentic Project-Based Design of Professional Development for Teachers Studying Online and Blended Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dabner, Nicki; Davis, Niki; Zaka, Pinelopi

    2012-01-01

    Online learning and teaching is rapidly increasing in many countries, including high schools in the USA and teacher education worldwide. Online and blended approaches to professional and organizational development are, therefore, becoming essential to enable effective and equitable education. Authentic project-based learning to support the…

  7. Teachers Teaching Teachers: The Belen Goals 2000 Professional Development Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norton, Priscilla; Sprague, Debra

    Belen Public Schools (New Mexico) received a Goals 2000 grant for teacher education and technology integration. The Belen Goals 2000 professional development project established two three-day teachers-teaching-teachers workshops. The first focused on using an integrated software package and the second focused on using e-mail and the Internet.…

  8. Teaching Children Well: New Evidence-Based Approaches to Teacher Professional Development and Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pianta, Robert C.

    2011-01-01

    There is widespread acknowledgement that the production of effective teaching and teachers is perhaps the critical component of education reform and innovation for improvement of student learning. This aim requires a serious investment of time, rigor, and evaluation to produce professional-development programs that actually work. This report…

  9. Changes in Teaching Efficacy during a Professional Development School-Based Science Methods Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swars, Susan L.; Dooley, Caitlin McMunn

    2010-01-01

    This mixed methods study offers a theoretically grounded description of a field-based science methods course within a Professional Development School (PDS) model (i.e., PDS-based course). The preservice teachers' (n = 21) experiences within the PDS-based course prompted significant changes in their personal teaching efficacy, with the…

  10. Technology-Based Professional Development for Teaching and Learning in K-12 Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrd, Nijia

    2017-01-01

    In an urban Georgia school district, teacher satisfaction surveys revealed that technology-based professional development was not equipping teachers with the skills or support needed to implement technology into their teaching practices. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to explore teachers' experiences and perceptions of…

  11. Teaching Practice and the Personal and Socio-Professional Development of Prospective Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoeman, S.; Mabunda, P. L.

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates the interplay between individual and contextual variables during teaching practice and its impact on the personal and socio-professional development of prospective teachers. The purpose of the study was to survey how prospective teachers experienced the process of becoming aware of their emerging identities as teachers, and…

  12. The Use of the Internet for English Language Teachers' Professional Development in Arab Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alhabahba, Mohammad Madallh; Mahfoodh, Omer Hassan Ali

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the relationship between English language teachers' motives to use online teaching resources and three types of Internet practices: teachers' practices in using the Internet to collaborate with others, teachers' practices for classroom teaching, and the Internet's contribution to the overall professional development of…

  13. An Exploratory Study Comparing Two Modes of Preparation for Online Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hathaway, Dawn; Norton, Priscilla

    2012-01-01

    Few online high schools report requiring online education for their teachers, and few programs exist to prepare teachers to teach online (Smith, Clark, & Blomeyer, 2005). Professional development for online teachers continues to be a concern, and evaluative research that examines the effectiveness of various types of professional development is…

  14. "Happy Professional Development at an Unhappy Time": Learning to Teach for Historical Thinking in a High-Pressure Accountability Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meuwissen, Kevin W.

    2017-01-01

    Adolescent learners stand to benefit when history teachers center their practice on investigating open-ended questions, interrogating evidence, and constructing persuasive arguments. Taking up this kind of teaching requires professional development (PD) experiences that are sustained, subject-specific, learning-focused, and collaborative and that…

  15. Indonesian EFL Teachers Professional Knowledge Development during Their Participation in TSG: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munifatullah, Feni; Musthafa, Bachrudin; Sundayana, Wachyu

    2016-01-01

    The study examines three new EFL teachers professional knowledge development through discussion in a "Teacher Study Group" ("TSG") in Indonesian (Asian) context. These three participants have less than five year-teaching experience and teach junior high schools in Bandarlampung in the time of the study. The data were collected…

  16. The Impact of Professional Development and Indigenous Education Officers on Australian Teachers' Indigenous Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Craven, Rhonda G.; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing; Han, Feifei

    2014-01-01

    The study investigated the impact of professional development (PD) in Indigenous teaching on teachers' psychological and behavioural aspects, and Indigenous students' learning engagement. Adopting a multiple-indicator-multiple-indicator-cause model, frequency of PD was found to have positive paths to teachers' self-concept in Indigenous teaching…

  17. Inclusion Professional Development Model and Regular Middle School Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Royster, Otelia; Reglin, Gary L.; Losike-Sedimo, Nonofo

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a professional development model on regular education middle school teachers' knowledge of best practices for teaching inclusive classes and attitudes toward teaching these classes. There were 19 regular education teachers who taught the core subjects. Findings for Research Question 1…

  18. Professional Development in Teaching and Learning for Early Career Academic Geographers: Contexts, Practices and Tensions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vajoczki, Susan; Biegas, Tamara C.; Crenshaw, Melody; Healey, Ruth L.; Osayomi, Tolulope; Bradford, Michael; Monk, Janice

    2011-01-01

    This paper provides a review of the practices and tensions informing approaches to professional development for early career academic geographers who are teaching in higher education. We offer examples from Britain, Canada, Nigeria and the USA. The tensions include: institutional and departmental cultures; models that offer generic and…

  19. Evaluating Faculty Pedagogic Practices to Inform Strategic Academic Professional Development: A Case of Cases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drew, Steve; Klopper, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    An investigation was undertaken into how a process involving peer review and observation of teaching can be used to enhance academics' teaching practices and inform professional development activities at an organization level. We describe an innovative and highly structured approach to gathering evidence of pedagogic practice from academic…

  20. Improving Teaching and Learning Using the Keeping Learning on Track Professional Development Program and Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dobish, Melisa; Griffiths, Jacqueline; Meyer, Richard

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the impact of implementing the professional development program, Keeping Learning on Track (KLT), on teaching and learning in a rural school in a Midwestern state. KLT was a program developed by Dylan William and his colleagues at the Educational Training Service and published by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA).…

  1. Integrating Mobile Phones into Teaching and Learning: A Case Study of Teacher Training through Professional Development Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ekanayake, Sakunthala Y.; Wishart, Jocelyn

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the development and implementation of a professional development workshop series on integrating mobile phones into science teaching for a group of teachers in Sri Lanka. The series comprised a 3-day Planning Workshop followed by implementation of the planned lessons in real classrooms and a subsequent 1-day Reviewing Workshop.…

  2. Teaching Physics in English: A Continuing Professional Development for Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers in Thailand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pruekpramool, Chaninan; Sangpradit, Theerapong

    2016-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to develop a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) using English integrated science approach training curriculum and to promote physics teacher's efficacy to be expert teachers and be able to teach Physics in English. The quality of the curriculum was at a high level corresponding to the congruence scores of the…

  3. Expansion of Biology Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) During a Long-Term Professional Development Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rozenszajn, Ronit; Yarden, Anat

    2014-02-01

    Experienced teachers possess a unique teaching knowledge comprised of an inter-related set of knowledge and beliefs that gives direction and justification to a teacher's actions. This study examined the expansion of two components of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of three in-service teachers in the course of a professional development program aimed at designing new teaching and learning materials suggested by the teachers themselves. The research presents an enlargement of previous PCK representations by focusing on a detailed representation of two main PCK domains: teaching and learning, including ten PCK components that emerged in the course of data analysis. This representation enabled revealing the unique PCK held by each teacher and to characterize the expansion of the two components of the participating teachers' PCK during the long-term professional development program. Retention of major parts of the expanded PCK a year after termination of the program implies that designing and implementing new teaching and learning materials based on the teachers' experiences, needs, and knowledge in a workshop format accompanied by biology and science education courses might provide a powerful means for PCK expansion. We recommend that designers of professional development programs be aware of the unique PCK held by each teacher in order to promote meaningful professional development of each teacher. Moreover, the PCK representations that were identified in the course of this study enabled clarifying the "orientation toward teaching science" category of PCK which appears to be unclear in current literature.

  4. 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…

  5. Peer teacher training (PTT) program for health professional students: interprofessional and flipped learning.

    PubMed

    Burgess, Annette; Roberts, Chris; van Diggele, Christie; Mellis, Craig

    2017-12-04

    The need for developing healthcare professional students' peer teaching skills is widely acknowledged, and a number of discipline-based peer teacher training programs have been previously reported. However, a consensus on what a student peer teaching skills program across the health professions should entail, and the associated benefits and challenges, has not been previously described. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the design and implementation of an interprofessional Peer Teacher Training (PTT) program, and explore outcomes and participant perceptions, using Experience-Based Learning (ExBL) theory. In 2016, an interprofessional team of academics from across three healthcare faculties: Medicine, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, developed and implemented a six module, flipped learning, interprofessional PTT program. Pre- and post questionnaires, using a Likert scale of 1-5, as well as open ended questions, were distributed to students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, and thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Ninety senior students from across the three faculties participated. Eighty nine percent of participants completed a pre- and post-course questionnaire. Students felt the required pre-class preparation, including online pre-reading, discussion board, videos, and teaching activities enhanced their face-to-face learning experience. In class, students valued the small-group activities, and the opportunities to practice their teaching skills with provision of feedback. Students reported increased confidence to plan and deliver peer teaching activities, and an increased awareness of the roles and responsibilities of health professionals outside of their own discipline, and use of different terminology and communication methods. Students' suggestions for improving the PTT, included; less large group teaching; more online delivery of theory; and inclusion of a wider range of health professional disciplines. The PTT program provided a theoretically informed framework where students could develop and practice their teaching skills, helping to shape students' professional values as they assume peer teaching responsibilities and move towards healthcare practice. The flipped learning, interprofessional format was successful in developing students' skills, competence and confidence in teaching, assessment, communication and feedback. Importantly, participation increased students' awareness and understanding of the various roles of health professionals.

  6. Teaching CSD Graduate Students to Think Critically, Apply Evidence, and Write Professionally

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grillo, Elizabeth U.; Koenig, Mareile A.; Gunter, Cheryl D.; Kim, Sojung

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of teaching modules designed to enhance the use of critical thinking (CT), evidence-based practice (EBP), and professional writing (PW) skills by graduate students in communication sciences and disorders. Three single-session teaching modules were developed to highlight key features of CT,…

  7. 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…

  8. 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…

  9. Factors Affecting the Development and Evolution of the Teaching Beliefs of Future Geoscience Professors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chapman, LeeAnna Tiffany Young

    The pedagogical beliefs of university instructors influence how they design their courses and whether they choose to use research-validated teaching methods that have been shown to improve student learning. The next generation of professors will be drawn from today's graduate students and post-doctoral fellows but we know relatively little about their preparation to use research-validated teaching practices. We followed a broad population of geoscience graduate students and post-docs over a three year period to evaluate changes in teaching beliefs. This study employed a longitudinal mixed-methods experimental design including surveys, short interviews, and longer case study interviews to: a) collect information on the teaching beliefs of geoscience graduate students and post-doctoral scholars; and b) identify experiences that contributed to the development of reformed teaching beliefs and their interest in an academic career. We collected initial surveys from more than 600 participants and re-surveyed more than 300 of these participants 12-18 months later. We conducted an initial round of interviews with 61 participants and repeat interviews with 31 of these individuals. The survey utilized was the Beliefs about Reformed Teaching and Learning (BARSTL); the interview tool was the Teacher Belief Interview (TBI). Finally, we conducted detailed case study interviews with a sample of ten participants who were either PhD students, post-doctoral scholars, or beginning professors at the time of the interviews. The data were examined to determine if there was a difference in beliefs about teaching on the basis of factors including number of years in graduate school, teaching assistant (TA) experiences, gender, and participation in professional development. Data from the large initial population were interpreted to show that participation in teaching-related professional development was the experience that was most likely to result in more reformed pedagogical beliefs among graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Participants who took part in professional development experiences with a duration of a semester or longer exhibited the most reformed beliefs. In addition, females, PhD students and post-doctoral scholars, and participants with teaching assistant experience had statistically more reformed beliefs than their counterparts. A second round of survey and data collected 12-18 months after the first data collection event revealed that participants who had completed teaching-related professional development in the interim were the only population to experience a statistically significant improvement toward more reformed teaching beliefs. Longer and more rigorous experiences such as pedagogy courses resulted in greater change toward more reformed beliefs. A grounded-theory approach was used to analyze case study interview transcripts and determine relevant themes that influenced teaching beliefs, interest in teaching, or interest in an academic career. The teaching beliefs of our geoscience graduate students and post-doctoral scholars were most strongly influenced by professional development and instructors who they have encountered during their academic experience, with both positive and negative consequences. Participants were most likely to want to teach because of their potential impact on students, their own student experience, and external encouragement. However, they also encountered instances of teaching discouragement. Graduate students and post-doctoral scholars were interested in an academic career because of the impact they can have on students and because of the perceived flexibility and autonomy associated with such careers. To best prepare graduate students and post-docs for future careers in academia, effective professional development, positive mentoring, and opportunities to teach are crucial.

  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. 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…

  12. A Prospective Study on the Application of MOOC in Teacher Professional Development in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ji, Zhaolin; Cao, Yanhua

    2016-01-01

    Teacher professional development is the process of constantly strengthening professional attainment, broadening academic knowledge, enhancing the professional skills, and improving teaching ability. With the reform of learning science and the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the traditional mode of teacher…

  13. 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…

  14. 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…

  15. Breaking the cycle: future faculty begin teaching with learner-centered strategies after professional development.

    PubMed

    Ebert-May, Diane; Derting, Terry L; Henkel, Timothy P; Middlemis Maher, Jessica; Momsen, Jennifer L; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A

    2015-01-01

    The availability of reliable evidence for teaching practices after professional development is limited across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, making the identification of professional development "best practices" and effective models for change difficult. We aimed to determine the extent to which postdoctoral fellows (i.e., future biology faculty) believed in and implemented evidence-based pedagogies after completion of a 2-yr professional development program, Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST IV). Postdocs (PDs) attended a 2-yr training program during which they completed self-report assessments of their beliefs about teaching and gains in pedagogical knowledge and experience, and they provided copies of class assessments and video recordings of their teaching. The PDs reported greater use of learner-centered compared with teacher-centered strategies. These data were consistent with the results of expert reviews of teaching videos. The majority of PDs (86%) received video ratings that documented active engagement of students and implementation of learner-centered classrooms. Despite practice of higher-level cognition in class sessions, the items used by the PDs on their assessments of learning focused on lower-level cognitive skills. We attributed the high success of the FIRST IV program to our focus on inexperienced teachers, an iterative process of teaching practice and reflection, and development of and teaching a full course. © 2015 D. Ebert-May et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  16. Early childhood teachers' self-efficacy toward teaching science: Outcomes of professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, Sarah

    The teaching of science in the early childhood classrooms has slowly been decreasing. As the years have passed, the subject of science has been put on the backburner while mathematics and language arts have taken center stage in the educational system. Early childhood teachers need to find ways to integrate science with other subjects in order to ensure children are receiving a well-rounded and full education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of professional development on teachers' efficacy in teaching science. Volunteer teachers completed the Weisgram and Bigler scale (TWBS) pre and post training, in order to determine their self-efficacy toward teaching science, they also completed pre- and post- concept maps about their knowledge of teaching science, and a demographic questionnaire. Findings indicate the training provided was effective in increasing teachers' knowledge of teaching science. Teachers who had an increase in science teaching knowledge were also found to feel more efficacious about teaching science after completing the training and an academic year of implementing science lessons in their classrooms. There was not a relationship between teacher demographics and their science-teaching efficacy. This means that the demographics of participants in this study were not influential on teachers' efficacy, but professional development workshops enabled teachers to gain more knowledge about teaching as well as increase their efficacy about teaching science.

  17. Using a Teaching Philosophy Statement as a Professional Development Tool for Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caukin, Nancy G.; Brinthaupt, Thomas M.

    2017-01-01

    Most new teachers are expected to develop a teaching philosophy statement (TPS). In the present paper, we describe some of the major functions of a TPS and how it can be beneficial to the professional development of teacher candidates. We then describe a case example of a Residency I program and how the features of that program help teacher…

  18. Professional Development Needs of Online Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roy, Mamta; Boboc, Marius

    2016-01-01

    Keeping in mind the rising rate of K-12 enrollment, and the increased demand for online teachers, the need for professional development of online teachers is keenly felt. The skills needed for teaching in face-to-face environments are not always transferable to online settings. There is a pointed change in the way teaching takes place in an online…

  19. Impacts of Professional Development in Integrated STEM Education on Teacher Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectancy, and STEM Career Awareness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knowles, J. Geoff

    2017-01-01

    This research analyzed the effects of teacher professional development and lesson implementation in integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) on: (1.) Teacher self-efficacy and their confidence to teach specific STEM subjects; (2.) Teaching outcome expectancy beliefs concerning the impact of actions by teachers on student…

  20. Longitudinal Study of Middle Grades Chemistry Professional Development: Enhancement of Personal Science Teaching Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khourey-Bowers, Claudia; Simonis, Doris G.

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to enhance self-efficacy beliefs, chemistry content, and pedagogical content knowledge of middle grades teachers by incorporating specific design elements into professional development. This study analyzed the influence of program design on achieving gains in personal science teaching self-efficacy, outcome…

  1. The Use of Mathematical Investigations in a Queensland Primary School and Implications for Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshman, Margaret; Clark, Darren; Carey, Michael

    2015-01-01

    With the introduction of Ways of Working in 2008, Queensland teachers received professional development on using investigations to teach mathematics. This case study explores the extent to which teachers in one Queensland Primary School use this pedagogy. To determine teachers' beliefs and teaching approaches, a five point Likert scale…

  2. Kaleidoscope Feature. Experiencing a Learning Community: Lessons from Interns Learning to Teach in a Yearlong Professional Development School Internship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mule, Lucy

    2005-01-01

    University-school partnerships are increasingly being viewed as optimal contexts for preparing future teachers. Professional Development School partnerships have especially been extolled or creating learning communities in which preservice teachers learn to teach. The reform literature, however, does not adequately address how interns understand,…

  3. Problem Solving as a Professional Development Strategy for Teachers: A Case Study with Fractions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perdomo-Díaz, Josefa; Felmer, Patricio; Randolph, Valeria; González, Guillermo

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we present a professional development course designed to impact on teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching fractions. The main features of the course are the use of i) problem solving activities related with mathematical knowledge for teaching fractions ii) peer discussions and iii) monitor's interventions focused on answering…

  4. The Impact of a Professional Development Model on Middle School Science Teachers' Efficacy and Implementation of Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lotter, Christine; Smiley, Whitney; Thompson, Stephen; Dickenson, Tammiee

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated a professional development model designed to improve teachers' inquiry teaching efficacy as well as the quality of their inquiry instruction through engaging teachers in practice-teaching and reflection sessions. The programme began with a two-week summer Institute focused on both inquiry pedagogy and science content and…

  5. What Motivates Biology Instructors to Engage and Persist in Teaching Professional Development?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCourt, Jill S.; Andrews, Tessa C.; Knight, Jennifer K.; Merrill, John E.; Nehm, Ross H.; Pelletreau, Karen N.; Prevost, Luanna B.; Smith, Michelle K.; Urban-Lurain, Mark; Lemons, Paula P.

    2017-01-01

    We conducted a study of 19 biology instructors participating in small, local groups at six research-intensive universities connected to the Automated Analysis of Constructed Response (AACR) project (www.msu.edu/~aacr). Our aim was to uncover participants' motivation to persist in a long-term teaching professional development effort, a topic that…

  6. Parameters for the Design of Group Randomized Studies for Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelcey, Ben; Phelps, Geoffrey; Jones, Nathan

    2013-01-01

    Teacher professional development (PD) is seen as critical to improving the quality of US schools (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 1997). PD is increasingly viewed as one of the primary levers for improving teaching quality and ultimately student achievement (Correnti, 2007). One factor that is driving interest in PD is…

  7. Examining How Teachers Use Graphs to Teach Mathematics during a Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bautista, Alfredo; Cañadas, María C.; Brizuela, Bárbara M.; Schliemann, Analúcia D.

    2015-01-01

    There are urgent calls for more studies examining the impact of Professional Development (PD) programs on teachers' instructional practices. In this study, we analyzed how grades 5-9 mathematics teachers used graphs to teach mathematics at the start and end of a PD program. This topic is relevant because while many studies have investigated…

  8. Multi-Year Professional Development Grounded in Educative Curriculum Focused on Integrating Technology with Reformed Science Teaching Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Longhurst, Max L.; Coster, Daniel C.; Wolf, Paul G.; Duffy, Aaron M.; Lee, Hyunju; Campbell, Todd

    2016-01-01

    Visions of science teaching and learning in the newest U.S. standards documents are dramatically different than those found in most classrooms. This research addresses these differences through closely examining one professional development (PD) project that connects teacher learning and teacher practice with student learning/achievement. This…

  9. The Impact of a Professional Development Programme on the Practices and Beliefs of Numeracy Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swan, Malcolm; Swain, Jon

    2010-01-01

    This article describes some outcomes of a nine-month design-based research study into the professional development of 24 numeracy teachers with post-16 learners. Teachers analysed research-based principles for teaching, and engaged in a design-research process by testing and refining teaching activities to embody these principles. Data from…

  10. Just in Time and Future-Proofing? Policy, Challenges and Opportunities in the Professional Development of Part-Time Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beaton, Fran

    2017-01-01

    Part-time teachers form a growing proportion of the global Higher Education (HE) workforce. Their backgrounds can vary from Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) teaching for the first time, to practitioners bringing workplace experience into HE and sessional teachers, all with differing professional development needs. This paper builds on previous…

  11. Improving undergraduate STEM education: The efficacy of discipline-based professional development.

    PubMed

    Manduca, Cathryn A; Iverson, Ellen R; Luxenberg, Michael; Macdonald, R Heather; McConnell, David A; Mogk, David W; Tewksbury, Barbara J

    2017-02-01

    We sought to determine whether instructional practices used by undergraduate faculty in the geosciences have shifted from traditional teacher-centered lecture toward student-engaged teaching practices and to evaluate whether the national professional development program On the Cutting Edge (hereinafter Cutting Edge) has been a contributing factor in this change. We surveyed geoscience faculty across the United States in 2004, 2009, and 2012 and asked about teaching practices as well as levels of engagement in education research, scientific research, and professional development related to teaching. We tested these self-reported survey results with direct observations of teaching using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol, and we conducted interviews to understand what aspects of Cutting Edge have supported change. Survey data show that teaching strategies involving active learning have become more common, that these practices are concentrated in faculty who invest in learning about teaching, and that faculty investment in learning about teaching has increased. Regression analysis shows that, after controlling for other key influences, faculty who have participated in Cutting Edge programs and who regularly use resources on the Cutting Edge website are statistically more likely to use active learning teaching strategies. Cutting Edge participants also report that learning about teaching, the availability of teaching resources, and interactions with peers have supported changes in their teaching practice. Our data suggest that even one-time participation in a workshop with peers can lead to improved teaching by supporting a combination of affective and cognitive learning outcomes.

  12. Improving undergraduate STEM education: The efficacy of discipline-based professional development

    PubMed Central

    Manduca, Cathryn A.; Iverson, Ellen R.; Luxenberg, Michael; Macdonald, R. Heather; McConnell, David A.; Mogk, David W.; Tewksbury, Barbara J.

    2017-01-01

    We sought to determine whether instructional practices used by undergraduate faculty in the geosciences have shifted from traditional teacher-centered lecture toward student-engaged teaching practices and to evaluate whether the national professional development program On the Cutting Edge (hereinafter Cutting Edge) has been a contributing factor in this change. We surveyed geoscience faculty across the United States in 2004, 2009, and 2012 and asked about teaching practices as well as levels of engagement in education research, scientific research, and professional development related to teaching. We tested these self-reported survey results with direct observations of teaching using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol, and we conducted interviews to understand what aspects of Cutting Edge have supported change. Survey data show that teaching strategies involving active learning have become more common, that these practices are concentrated in faculty who invest in learning about teaching, and that faculty investment in learning about teaching has increased. Regression analysis shows that, after controlling for other key influences, faculty who have participated in Cutting Edge programs and who regularly use resources on the Cutting Edge website are statistically more likely to use active learning teaching strategies. Cutting Edge participants also report that learning about teaching, the availability of teaching resources, and interactions with peers have supported changes in their teaching practice. Our data suggest that even one-time participation in a workshop with peers can lead to improved teaching by supporting a combination of affective and cognitive learning outcomes. PMID:28246629

  13. 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…

  14. Reasons Why Teaching Professionals Continue or Resume University Study in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation: Knowledge for Its Own Sake? Economics? Altruism?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Stercke, Joachim; Derobertmasure, Antoine; Duchatel, Julien; Temperman, Gaëtan; De Lièvre, Bruno; Robertson, Jean E.

    2016-01-01

    Preparing candidates for the rigours of the teaching profession represents a major challenge for educational systems, begging the question of whether the opportunity for professional educators to further their own university education represents, to them, a way of developing their teaching skills (intrinsic motivation), a means of earning a higher…

  15. "I Speak Prose and I Now Know It." Personal Development Trajectories among Teacher Educators in a Professional Development Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brody, David; Hadar, Linor

    2011-01-01

    This study explores trajectories of professional growth by teacher educators participating in a professional development community on teaching thinking. Qualitative measures revealed a four stage model of personal professional trajectories: anticipation/curiosity, withdrawal, awareness and change. The model delineates passages traversed by teacher…

  16. Is Presence of Community of Practice Dimensions Sufficient for Community-Based Teacher Professional Development?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murugaiah, Puvaneswary; Ming, Thang Siew; Azman, Hazita; Nambiar, Radha

    2013-01-01

    Professional development programmes that include teacher collaboration can help teachers meet their professional needs and control their professional lives. They can voice their needs and expectations to peers who share similar experiences. Moreover, teachers can discover new teaching roles and opportunities, develop new skills and find motivation…

  17. 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.…

  18. Photoelectric professional students in common universities cultivate way to explore under the background of professional certification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Yan-jun; Wang, Li; Leng, Yan-bing

    2017-08-01

    In view of the engineering education professional certification of specialty construction and the specific requirements of the training system, combining with our school optoelectronic information science and engineering characteristics, analysis of the optoelectronic information science and engineering in our school problems and challenges, to locate the specific professional training objectives. From the service oriented industry demand for talent ability, at the same time, according to the ministry of education professional norms of the development of the photoelectric teaching steering committee, and the professional development and the characteristics of target, to build a set to conform to the goal of cultivating the professional curriculum system. At the same time set up a from fundamental to professional practice teaching system, covers the course experiment, course design, case teaching, comprehensive training, such as graduation design practice. Which implements a whole ability training from the practice of foundation to high-end chain, embodies the training goal emphasize "outstanding practical skills, quality education is distinct culture characteristic. By further speed up the professional construction, professional certification standards to standardize our training process, improved the level of professional training, and improve the comprehensive quality of the graduates and talent of social competitiveness, fostered more professional talents for the country.

  19. Impact of Selected Professional Aspects on Teacher Burnout.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kudva, Pramila

    This study investigated the relationship between several components of teacher burnout and various professional factors. Professional factors included professional qualifications, teaching level, professional growth, professional commitment, and role efficacy. Components of teacher burnout included development of negative attitudes toward students…

  20. Role of the Information Professional in the Development and Promotion of Digital Humanities Content for Research, Teaching, and Learning in the Modern Academic Library: An Irish Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burns, Jane A.

    2016-01-01

    The Internet has been the catalyst for the convergence of many subject areas and online platforms. Information professionals such as Archivists, IT developers and especially Librarians have been impacted in the development and promotion of digital humanities content for research, teaching, and learning in the modern academic library. In this case…

  1. Integrating Problem-Based Learning with ICT for Developing Trainee Teachers' Content Knowledge and Teaching Skill

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karami, Mehdi; Karami, Zohreh; Attaran, Mohammad

    2013-01-01

    Professional teachers can guarantee the progress and the promotion of society because fostering the development of next generation is up to them and depends on their professional knowledge which has two kinds of sources: content knowledge and teaching skill. The aim of the present research was studying the effect of integrating problem-based…

  2. Effects of Two Scientific Inquiry Professional Development Interventions on Teaching Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grigg, Jeffrey; Kelly, Kimberle A.; Gamoran, Adam; Borman, Geoffrey D.

    2013-01-01

    In this article, we examine classroom observations from a 3-year large-scale randomized trial in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to investigate the extent to which a professional development initiative in inquiry science influenced teaching practices in in 4th and 5th grade classrooms in 73 schools. During the course of the study,…

  3. Professional Development that Supports the Teaching of Cognitive Reading Strategy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sailors, Misty; Price, Larry R.

    2010-01-01

    In this article, we describe and report on the results of a study in Texas that tested 2 models of professional development for classroom teachers as a way of improving their practices and increasing the reading achievement of their students. To meet this goal, 44 participating teachers in grades 2-8 learned to teach their students cognitive…

  4. Evaluation of Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) Professional Development. Final Report. NCEE 2012-4005

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bos, Johannes M.; Sanchez, Raquel C.; Tseng, Fannie; Rayyes, Nada; Ortiz, Lorena; Sinicrope, Castle

    2012-01-01

    To add to the evidence base on effective strategies for teaching English language learner students, the 2006-2011 REL West at WestEd conducted a rigorous study, using an intent-to-treat model, of the impact on middle grades student achievement of offering teachers the opportunity to participate in a teacher professional development program. The…

  5. An Investigation of How a Physics Professional Development Course Influenced the Teaching Practices of Five Elementary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harlow, Danielle B.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports the results of an investigation of how a professional development content course based on the Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum affected the teaching practices of five case study elementary school teachers. The findings of this study highlight different ways that teachers use what they learn in content courses to…

  6. Changing Practice: An Evaluation of the Impact of a Nature of Science Inquiry-Based Professional Development Programme on Primary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Clíona; Smith, Greg; Varley, Janet; Razi, Özge

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates how a two-year continuing professional development (CPD) programme, with an emphasis on teaching about science through inquiry, impacted the experiences of, approaches to and attitudes towards teaching science of 17 primary teachers in Dublin. Data sources included interview, questionnaire and reflective journal strategies.…

  7. Teacher Candidates' Experiences with Clinical Teaching in Reading Instruction: A Comparison between the Professional Development School Environment and the Non-Professional Development School Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hopper, Cynthia J.

    2016-01-01

    Teacher candidates experience a variety of school settings when enrolled in teacher education methods courses. Candidates report varied experiences when in public school classrooms. This dissertation investigated clinical experiences of teacher candidates when placed in two different environments for clinical teaching. The two environments were a…

  8. Institutional Context Matters: The Professional Development of Academics as Teachers in South African Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leibowitz, Brenda; Bozalek, Vivienne; van Schalkwyk, Susan; Winberg, Christine

    2015-01-01

    This study features the concept of "context" and how various macro, meso and micro features of the social system play themselves out in any setting. Using South Africa as an example, it explores the features that may constrain or enable professional development, quality teaching and the work of teaching and learning centres at eight…

  9. Peer Observation of Teaching: A Decoupled Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chamberlain, John Martyn; D'Artrey, Meriel; Rowe, Deborah-Anne

    2011-01-01

    This article details the findings of research into the academic teaching staff experience of peer observation of their teaching practice. Peer observation is commonly used as a tool to enhance a teacher's continuing professional development. Research participants acknowledged its ability to help develop their teaching practice, but they also…

  10. Increasing Bellevue School District's elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science: Using ideas from contemporary learning theory to inform professional development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maury, Tracy Anne

    This Capstone project examined how leaders in the Bellevue School District can increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science through the use of professional learning activities that are grounded in ideas from human learning theory. A framework for professional development was constructed and from that framework, a set of professional learning activities were developed as a means to support teacher learning while project participants piloted new curriculum called the Isopod Habitat Challenge. Teachers in the project increased their understanding of the learning theory principles of preconceptions and metacognition. Teachers did not increase their understanding of the principle of learning with understanding, although they did articulate the significance of engaging children in student-led inquiry cycles. Data from the curriculum revision and professional development project coupled with ideas from learning theory, cognition and policy implementation, and learning community literatures suggest Bellevue's leaders can encourage peer-to-peer interaction, link professional development to teachers' daily practice, and capitalize on technology as ways to increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science. These lessons also have significance for supporting teacher learning and efficacy in other subject areas and at other levels in the system.

  11. Fostering High-Quality Teaching with an Enriched Curriculum and Professional Development Support: The Head Start REDI Program

    PubMed Central

    Domitrovich, Celene E.; Gest, Scott D.; Gill, Sukhdeep; Bierman, Karen L.; Welsh, Janet; Jones, Damon

    2017-01-01

    This randomized controlled trial tested whether teaching quality in Head Start classrooms could be improved with the addition of evidence-based curriculum components targeting emergent language/literacy and social-emotional development and the provision of associated professional development support. Participants were lead and assistant teachers in 44 Head Start classrooms. Teachers received 4 days of workshop training along with weekly in-class support from a mentor teacher. End-of-year observations indicated that, compared to the control group, intervention teachers talked with children more frequently and in more cognitively complex ways, established a more positive classroom climate, and used more preventive behavior management strategies. Results supported the conclusion that enriched curriculum components and professional development support can produce improvements in multiple domains of teaching quality. PMID:29081534

  12. 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.

  13. The effects of a professional development program for physics teachers on their teaching and the learning of their students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Mee-Kyeong

    The purposes of the study were (1) to investigate the effects of the 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program on classroom teaching and student learning and (2) to examine the effectiveness of Constructivist/STS approaches in terms of student perceptions regarding their science classrooms, student attitudes toward science, and student creativity. The 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program which focused on Constructivist/STS approaches was carried out at the University of Iowa for visiting Korean physics teachers. Several methods of data collection were used, including observations by means of classroom videotapes, teacher perception surveys, teacher interviews, and student surveys. The data collected was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Major findings include: (1) The 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program did not significantly influence teacher perceptions concerning their teaching in terms of Constructivist/STS approaches in their classrooms. (2) The 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program significantly influenced improvement in teaching practices regarding Constructivist/STS approaches. (3) Students taught with Constructivist/STS approaches perceived their learning environments as more constructivist than did those taught with traditional methods. (4) Students taught with Constructivist/STS approaches improved significantly in the development of more positive attitudes toward science, while such positive attitudes decreased among students taught with traditional methods. (5) Students taught with Constructivist/STS approaches improved significantly in their use of creativity skills over those taught in traditional classrooms. (6) Most teachers favored the implementation of Constructivist/STS approaches. They perceived that students became more interested in lessons utilizing such approaches over time. The major difficulties which the teachers experienced with regard to the implementation of Constructivist/STS teaching include: inability to cover required curriculum content; getting away from textbooks; acceptance by parents, community, and supervisors; motivating students to be involved in classroom activities; and lack of materials for Constructivist/STS teaching. The results imply that efforts to improve educational conditions, in tandem with more consistent and ongoing professional development programs, are necessary to encourage teachers to use what they learned, to keep their initial interest and ideas alive, and to contribute specifically to the reform of science education.

  14. 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…

  15. Building Learning into the Teaching Job.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Renyi, Judith

    1998-01-01

    A two-year study of professional development recommended that schools build professional development into school life via flexible scheduling and extended time blocks; help teachers assume responsibility for their own professional development; find common ground with the community via resource sharing; and find revenues to support professional…

  16. Faculty Development for Online Teaching as a Catalyst for Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McQuiggan, Carol A.

    2012-01-01

    This action research study explored the change in face-to-face teaching practices as a result of faculty professional development for online teaching. Faculty's initial teaching model is typically born from that of their own teachers, and they teach as they were taught. However, few have any online experience as a student or a teacher. Learning to…

  17. Observation and assessment of faculty development learning outcomes.

    PubMed

    Behar-Horenstein, Linda S; Childs, Gail Schneider; Graff, Randy A

    2010-11-01

    Prior research has found that participation in course offerings provides a means of professional development and results in changes to faculty beliefs and instructional practices. However, as with most professional development initiatives in education, little is known about the sustainability of these training efforts. The research question that guided this study was the following: Do professional development efforts in teaching result in observed learning outcomes among faculty members? In this study, teaching observations served as the primary data source. Twelve faculty members (six in the College of Dentistry and six in the College of Health and Human Performance) who completed two six-week teaching seminars in fall 2006 and spring 2007 or spring 2008 and summer 2008 were asked to participate in a classroom observation and an interview lasting no longer than forty-five minutes. Six dental faculty members and three faculty members from the College of Health and Human Performance agreed to participate in the study. Three standardized reviewers conducted these classroom observations during fall 2008, spring 2009, and summer 2009. An active teaching rubric was used to evaluate the class transcripts. The findings revealed that participants somewhat frequently to frequently used questions that were open-ended or checked for comprehension. Seven of nine instructors made extensive efforts to engage the students interactively throughout the teaching session. Six of the participants infused the description of actual or hypothetical cases to illustrate the connections between teaching and patient care, while six utilized reflective practices. Findings from the interviews corroborated the observations. Overall, the findings showed that participants demonstrated the integration of those strategies that were taught during the seminars, which were consistent with teaching critical thinking skills and showed that the learning acquired during professional development initiatives was sustained.

  18. A Survey of Pennsylvania School Principals' Perceptions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification Process and the Leadership Roles of National Board Certified Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balbach, Amy Beth Mackie

    2012-01-01

    Throughout the 1980's, the notion of standards came to the forefront throughout the education world. Groups questioned how to define quality teaching. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was developed to meet this need providing a voluntary national certification to identify accomplished teachers. Since its inception,…

  19. Teaching and Assessing Professionalism in Radiology: Resources and Scholarly Opportunities to Contribute to Required Expectations.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Aine Marie; Mullan, Patricia B

    2018-05-01

    Teaching and assessing trainees' professionalism now represents an explicit expectation for Accreditation Council Graduate Medical Education-accredited radiology programs. Challenges to meeting this expectation include variability in defining the construct of professionalism; limits of traditional teaching and assessment methods, used for competencies historically more prominent in medical education, for professionalism; and emerging expectations for credible and feasible professionalism teaching and assessment practices in the current context of health-care training and practice. This article identifies promising teaching resources and methods that can be used strategically to augment traditional teaching of the cognitive basis for professionalism, including role modeling, case-based scenarios, debriefing, simulations, narrative medicine (storytelling), guided discussions, peer-assisted learning, and reflective practice. This article also summarizes assessment practices intended to promote learning, as well as to inform how and when to assess trainees as their professional identities develop over time, settings, and autonomous practice, particularly in terms of measurable behaviors. This includes assessment tools (including mini observations, critical incident reports, and appreciative inquiry) for authentic assessment in the workplace; engaging multiple sources (self-, peer, other health professionals, and patients) in assessment; and intentional practices for trainees to take responsibility for seeking our actionable feedback and reflection. This article examines the emerging evidence of the feasibility and value added of assessment of medical competency milestones, including professionalism, coordinated by the Accreditation Council Graduate Medical Education in radiology and other medical specialties. Radiology has a strategic opportunity to contribute to scholarship and inform policies in professionalism teaching and assessment practices. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. National Board Certification as Professional Development: An Empirical Study of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Process, Final Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavalluzzo, Linda; Barrow, Lisa; Henderson, Stephen

    2014-01-01

    This study responds to a request from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to analyze National Board certification among high school teachers in understudied subject areas and locales to help fill gaps in the research literature. The authors also were asked to use multiple indicators of performance. The research team selected two…

  1. 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…

  2. Developing a Professional Identity as an Elementary Teacher of Nature of Science: A self-study of becoming an elementary teacher

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akerson, Valarie L.; Pongsanon, Khemmawadee; Weiland, Ingrid S.; Nargund-Joshi, Vanashri

    2014-08-01

    This study explores the development of professional identity as a teacher of nature of science (NOS). Our research question was 'How can a teacher develop a professional identity as an elementary teacher of NOS?' Through a researcher log, videotaped lessons, and collection of student work, we were able to track efforts in teaching NOS as part of regular classroom practice. A team of four researchers interpreted the data through the Beijaard et al. professional identity framework and found that it was not as simple and straightforward to teach NOS as we predicted. Development of professional identity as a teacher of NOS was influenced by contextual factors such as students, administration, and time, as well as personal struggles that were fraught with emotion. Development took place through an interpretation and reinterpretation of self through external factors and others' perceptions, as well as the influence of sub-identities.

  3. 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…

  4. Teaching and assessment of professional attitudes in UK dental schools - commentary.

    PubMed

    Field, J; Ellis, J; Abbas, C; Germain, P

    2010-08-01

    The General Dental Council expects professionalism to be embedded and assessed through-out the undergraduate dental programme. Curricula need therefore to accommodate these recommendations. A stroll poll of UK dental schools provided a basis for understanding the current methods of teaching and assessing professionalism. All respondent schools recognised the importance of professionalism and reported that this was taught and assessed within their curriculum. For most the methods involved were largely traditional, relying on lectures and seminars taught throughout the course. The most common form of assessment was by grading and providing formative feedback after a clinical encounter. Whilst clinical skills and knowledge can perhaps be readily taught and assessed using traditional methods, those involved in education are challenged to identify and implement effective methods of not only teaching, but also assessing professionalism. A variety of standalone methods need to be developed that assess professionalism and this will, in turn, allow the effectiveness of teaching methods to be assessed.

  5. Teaching Evidence-Based Practice across Curricula-An Overview of a Professional Development Course for Occupational Therapy Educators.

    PubMed

    Daly, Marta M; DeAngelis, Tina M

    2017-01-01

    A professional development course for occupational therapy educators about teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) was developed and piloted. The course was developed to promote increased awareness of resources and methods for teaching EBP that are applicable across entry-level curricula. Participants included full-time faculty (n = 7) from one entry-level occupational therapy program in the New York City area. The results of the pilot informed refinement of the course in preparation for delivery to a wider audience of educators. This paper provides a description of the course, results of the pilot, and implications for future delivery of the course.

  6. Appropriating and Enacting Literacy Teaching Practices in the Context of the Pathway Project Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Huy Quoc

    2015-01-01

    Given that teacher professional development is a part of teachers' professional lives and given that billions of dollars have been invested in teacher professional development, this dissertation advocates for research that studies teacher learning and the conditions under which they learn, as an equally important component of studying the impact…

  7. Supporting Teachers Learning through the Collaborative Design of Technology-Enhanced Science Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafyulilo, Ayoub C.; Fisser, Petra; Voogt, Joke

    2015-01-01

    This study used the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (Clarke & Hollingsworth in "Teaching and Teacher Education," 18, 947-967, 2002) to unravel how science teachers' technology integration knowledge and skills developed in a professional development arrangement. The professional development arrangement used Technological…

  8. 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,…

  9. 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…

  10. Transitioning to Inquiry-Based Teaching: Exploring Science Teachers' Professional Development Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kazempour, Mahsa; Amirshokoohi, Aidin

    2014-01-01

    The literature on professional development is replete with studies that utilize survey, interview, and classroom observation data, primarily collected post professional development experience, to explore teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and actions; however, we lack a clear understanding of teachers' learning process and reflections during the…

  11. Developing Culturally Responsive Teaching through Professional Noticing within Teacher Educator Modelling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Averill, Robin; Anderson, Dayle; Drake, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Much evidence exists that culturally responsive and equitable teaching practices are challenging to develop. Evidence exists that in-the-moment coaching of "rehearsals" of practice can help foster mathematics teaching strategies, but how such coaching can assist the development of culturally responsive practice is less clear. Drawn from…

  12. Goal 5, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Exploring the Professional Development of Faculty Who Teach Underserved Learners in Developmental Courses at a Two-Year Post-Secondary Institution in Southwest Texas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woodson, Billy Ray

    2016-01-01

    Using a quantitative method, this study explored the professional development activities, educational levels of faculty teaching developmental courses, and demographic profiles of faculty and students in developmental courses at a Southwestern community college. This study was framed around Malcom Knowles' Adult Learning Theory. Data were…

  13. An Examination of the Changes in Science Teaching Orientations and Technology-Enhanced Tools for Student Learning in the Context of Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Todd; Zuwallack, Rebecca; Longhurst, Max; Shelton, Brett E.; Wolf, Paul G.

    2014-01-01

    This research examines how science teaching orientations and beliefs about technology-enhanced tools change over time in professional development (PD). The primary data sources for this study came from learning journals of 8 eighth grade science teachers at the beginning and conclusion of a year of PD. Based on the analysis completed, Information…

  14. Effects of a Teacher Professional Development Program on Science Teachers' Views about Using Computers in Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çetin, Nagihan Imer

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine science teachers' level of using computers in teaching and the impact of a teacher professional development program (TPDP) on their views regarding utilizing computers in science education. Forty-three in-service science teachers from different regions of Turkey attended a 5 day TPDP. The TPDP was…

  15. Evaluating an online pharmaceutical education system for pharmacy interns in critical care settings.

    PubMed

    Yeh, Yu-Ting; Chen, Hsiang-Yin; Cheng, Kuei-Ju; Hou, Ssu-An; Yen, Yu-Hsuan; Liu, Chien-Tsai

    2014-02-01

    Incorporating electronic learning (eLearning) system into professional experimental programs such as pharmacy internships is a challenge. However, none of the current systems can fully support the unique needs of clinical pharmacy internship. In this study we enhanced a commercial eLearning system for clinical pharmacy internship (The Clinical Pharmacy Internship eLearning System, CPIES). The KAP questionnaire was used to evaluate the performance of group A with the traditional teaching model and group B with the CPIES teaching model. The CPIES teaching model showed significant improvement in interns' knowledge and practice (p = 0.002 and 0.031, respectively). The traditional teaching model only demonstrated significant improvement in practice (p = 0.011). Moreover, professionalism, such as attitudes on cooperating with other health professionals, is developed by learning from a good mentor. The on-line teaching and traditional teaching methods should undoubtedly be blended in a complete teaching model in order to improve learners' professional knowledge, facilitate correct attitude, and influence good practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of Web-Mediated Teacher Professional Development on the Language and Literacy Skills of Children Enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten Programs

    PubMed Central

    Downer, Jason; Pianta, Robert; Fan, Xitao; Hamre, Bridget; Mashburn, Andrew; Justice, Laura

    2012-01-01

    As early education grows in the United States, in-service professional development in key instructional and interaction skills is a core component of capacity-building in early childhood education. In this paper, we describe results from an evaluation of the effects of MyTeachingPartner, a web-based system of professional development, on language and literacy development during pre-kindergarten for 1338 children in 161 teachers’ classrooms. High levels of support for teachers’ implementation of language/literacy activities showed modest but significant effects for improving early language and literacy for children in classrooms in which English was the dominant language spoken by the students and teachers. The combination of web-based supports, including video-based consultation and web-based video teaching exemplars, was more effective at improving children’s literacy and language skills than was only making available to teachers a set of instructional materials and detailed lesson guides. These results suggest the importance of targeted, practice-focused supports for teachers in designing professional development systems for effective teaching in early childhood programs. PMID:23144591

  17. Are We Preparing or Training Teachers? Developing Professional Judgment in and beyond Teacher Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scales, Roya Q.; Wolsey, Thomas DeVere; Lenski, Susan; Smetana, Linda; Yoder, Karen K.; Dobler, Elizabeth; Grisham, Dana L.; Young, Janet R.

    2018-01-01

    This three phase longitudinal multiple-case study, framed by positioning theory, investigated how four novice teachers learned to use professional judgment in their literacy instruction. Data sources from coursework, student teaching, and novice teaching were included. Interviews, observations, researchers' observational notes, and school and…

  18. Proceedings of the Community College Humanities Association, Number 6, 1984-1985.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rassweiler, Anne D., Ed.; Hylander, Joan W., Ed.

    A series of reports reflecting the activities of the Community College Humanities Association (CCHA) are presented in these proceedings. The first article, "Teaching Professional Ethics: Proceed, But with Caution," by Richard A. Wright, argues that extreme care must be taken in developing and teaching professional ethics, discussing what…

  19. Teaching and Coaching Tennis Using System 5

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helfrich, Janet

    2006-01-01

    The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) has developed a universal language for tennis instruction entitled System 5: The Five Keys to Tennis, which is extremely easy to teach and learn and covers court positioning, strategy, and stroke selection. Many professional tennis instructors have used System 5 since its inception but…

  20. Necessity of a Space for the Study of the Theoretical and Conceptual Problems as Part of the Harmonisation in the Teaching of Librarianship, Archives and Documentation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robayo, Moises Pedraza

    This discussion of the need to improve the quality of professional formation within the harmonization of teaching information professionals in a developing country argues that a firm theoretical area of knowledge is needed, and suggests that this paper can be considered as a point of reference for the harmonization of teaching the three…

  1. A Case Study of Coaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeChenne, Sue Ellen; Nugent, Gwen; Kunz, Gina; Luo, Linlin; Berry, Brandi; Craven, Katherine; Riggs, April

    2012-01-01

    A professional development experience for science and mathematics teachers that included coaches was provided for ten science and math teachers. This professional development experience had the teachers develop a lesson that utilized the engineering context to teach a science or mathematics concept through guided inquiry as an instructional…

  2. Three Major Sins of Professional Development: How Can We Make It Better?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Varela, Alejandra M.

    2012-01-01

    Teachers often complain about the professional development opportunities. And it is not uncommon for absenteeism to increase among teachers and staff during in-service days. The biggest problem that professional development has encountered is that it is usually developed as an isolated requirement, with no real connection to daily teaching and…

  3. Improving Science Teacher Preparation through the APS PhysTEC and NSF Noyce Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Tasha; Tyler, Micheal; van Duzor, Andrea; Sabella, Mel

    2013-03-01

    Central to the recruitment of students into science teaching at a school like CSU, is a focus on the professional nature of teaching. The purpose of this focus is twofold: it serves to change student perceptions about teaching and it prepares students to become teachers who value continued professional development and value the science education research literature. The Noyce and PhysTEC programs at CSU place the professional nature of teaching front and center by involving students in education research projects, paid internships, attendance at conferences, and participation in a new Teacher Immersion Institute and a Science Education Journal Reading Class. This poster will focus on specific components of our teacher preparation program that were developed through these two programs. In addition we will describe how these new components provide students with diverse experiences in the teaching of science to students in the urban school district. Supported by the NSF Noyce Program (0833251) and the APS PhysTEC Program.

  4. "Staying Woke" on Educational Equity through Culturally Responsive Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Affolter, Emily Alicia

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a culturally responsive professional development intervention for teachers and school leaders in a K-5 school setting. This qualitative case study involved a five-month long professional development intervention called the Culturally Responsive Professional Development (CRPD) series, largely…

  5. 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…

  6. Perceived Effectiveness of Professional Development Programs of Teachers at Higher Education Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malik, Sufiana Khatoon; Nasim, Uzma; Tabassum, Farkhanda

    2015-01-01

    The major purpose of the study was to assess the perceived effectiveness of professional development programs of teachers at higher educational level. The objectives of the study were: "to assess university level teachers'" opinion about effectiveness of professional development training with reference to quality teaching, to measure…

  7. 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…

  8. Factors Related to Professional Development of English Language University Teachers in Thailand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wichadee, Saovapa

    2012-01-01

    Professional development is deemed necessary for university teachers at all levels, as it helps to enhance teaching quality. However, the extent of English language university teachers' professional development might depend on a number of factors. This paper reports on a study investigating English language university teachers' professional…

  9. Chinese Tertiary English Educators' Perceptions of Foreign Teacher Involvement in Their Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bleistein, Tasha Maria

    2013-01-01

    China continues to invite expatriate tertiary-level English language educators to teach. Foreign English language teachers and local Chinese English educators who wish to develop professionally have an ever-increasing body of research regarding Chinese culture, education, professional development, and intercultural communication; however, research…

  10. Three Cases of Hashtags Used as Learning and Professional Development Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Veletsianos, George

    2017-01-01

    Hashtags offer exciting opportunities for professional development, teaching, and learning. However, their use reflects users' needs and desires. To illustrate and problematize the ways hashtags are used in professional development settings, this study reports on users' participation patterns, users' roles, and content contributed to three unique…

  11. An Example of a Laboratory Teaching Experience in a Professional Year (Plan B) Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, P. J.; And Others

    1978-01-01

    A laboratory teaching experience (L.T.E.) was designed to focus on three teaching behaviors. It was recognized that a behavioral approach to teaching simplified its complexity by isolating specific teaching behaviors. Discusses the development and evaluation of the laboratory teaching experience. (Author/RK)

  12. The impact of an online learning platform about nursing education on enrolled nurse preceptor teaching capabilities: a pre-post-test evaluation.

    PubMed

    Ryan, Colleen; Young, Louise; McAllister, Margaret

    2017-06-01

    Enrolled nurses (ENs) across Australia precept nursing students in the clinical field. Yet learning about the preceptoring role is not widely available to ENs. Educational innovation: EN's in this study participated in a professional development project that utilised the material of an online learning resource, originally designed to inspire clinical registered nurses (RNs), and RN teachers, to develop teaching innovations in their role. The aim of this paper is to report the results of a pre-post-test questionnaire designed to evaluate the impact of the professional development intervention. The analysis showed high scoring means with many items in the questionnaire statistically significant (p < .05, CI 95%). Results indicated positive differences in a number of teaching capabilities between pre- and post-test scores. This suggests ENs appreciate education that extends beyond clinical skills and that professional development should include the nursing education role.

  13. Noticing numeracy now! Examining changes in preservice teachers' noticing, knowledge, and attitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher, Molly H.; Thomas, Jonathan; Schack, Edna O.; Jong, Cindy; Tassell, Janet

    2018-06-01

    This study examined the impact of an intervention, focused on professional noticing of children's conceptual development in whole number and arithmetic reasoning, on preservice elementary teachers' (PSETs') professional noticing skills, attitudes toward mathematics, and mathematical knowledge for teaching mathematics. A video-based professional noticing module, situated in the pedagogies of practice framework, was used with 224 PSETs from five universities. Comparison data was also collected with similar groups not participating in the instructional module. Through pre- and post-assessments, findings indicated that PSETs can develop sound professional noticing skills as a result of participation in a video-based module. The impact on attitudes toward mathematics was less convincing as significant changes were revealed in intervention as well as comparison groups. We hypothesized the potential for professional noticing of children's mathematical thinking to serve as a mechanism for increasing the capabilities of PSETs to negotiate the complexities of mathematics teaching and learning; however, mathematics knowledge for teaching showed no significant increase for either group.

  14. Local Strategies: Creating and Nurturing Collaborative Communities of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bauer, Denise; Beaulieu, Elizabeth; Wobbe, Kristin

    2017-01-01

    Creating meaningful professional development opportunities for general education faculty can be particularly challenging at professionally-focused institutions where teaching liberal arts courses is sometimes viewed merely as a service requirement. Committing to sustained professional development for general education faculty can lead to…

  15. Engineering the Future.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finniston, Monty

    1985-01-01

    Describes several key characteristics of professionalism and an engineering education curriculum which focuses on developing professionalism. The entrance course, teaching design, structured training, and continuing development are among the curricular areas addressed. (JN)

  16. Developing and Piloting a Form for Student Assessment of Faculty Professionalism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Todhunter, Sarah; Cruess, Sylvia R.; Cruess, Richard L.; Young, Meredith; Steinert, Yvonne

    2011-01-01

    One of the impediments to teaching professionalism is unprofessional behavior amongst clinical teachers. No method of reliably assessing the professional behavior of clinical teachers has yet been reported. The aim of this project was to develop and pilot such a tool. Thirty-four desirable professional behaviors in clinical teachers were…

  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. Early Childhood Educators Teaching and Learning in Professional Learning Communities: A New Approach to Professional Development for Preschool Teachers in a Southern California School District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fairfield, Robin

    2011-01-01

    Early childhood education teachers have been challenged with the demands for accountability in literacy and English language development, as well as kindergarten readiness skills of preschool children. Researchers have studied professional learning communities (PLCs) as a framework for professional development and student achievement. However, few…

  19. 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…

  20. 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…

  1. Assessing professional behaviour: Overcoming teachers' reluctance to fail students.

    PubMed

    Mak-van der Vossen, Marianne; Peerdeman, Saskia; van Mook, Walther; Croiset, Gerda; Kusurkar, Rashmi

    2014-06-17

    Developing professional behaviour is an important goal of medical education in which teachers play a significant part. Many teachers can be reluctant to fail students demonstrating unprofessional behaviour. We hypothesize that supporting teachers in teaching and assessing professional behaviour and involving them in remediation will reduce this reluctance. In 2010, VUmc School of Medical Sciences Amsterdam introduced an educational theme on professional behaviour for the bachelor's and master's programmes in medicine with a special emphasis on supporting teachers in teaching and assessing professional behaviour and involving them in the remediation process. Information was extracted from the student database on the number of unprofessional behaviour judgments awarded over 2008-2010 (before the intervention), and 2010-2013 (after introducing the intervention), which was compared. To find out if teachers' reluctance to fail had decreased, qualitative feedback from the teachers was gathered and analysed. Since the implementation of the educational theme, the number of unprofessional behaviour judgments has risen. The teachers are positive about the implemented system of teaching and assessing professional behaviour, and feel less reluctant to award an unsatisfactory professional behaviour judgment. Supporting teachers in teaching and assessing professional behaviour and involving them in students' remediation appears to reduce their reluctance to fail students demonstrating unprofessional behaviour.

  2. Engineering Professional Development: Elementary Teachers' Self-efficacy and Sources of Self-efficacy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, Donna Louise

    Currently, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a popular buzz word in P-12 education as it represents a means to advance American competitiveness in the global economy. Proponents of the engineering component of STEM advocate additional benefits in teaching engineering, such as its capacity to engage students in collaboration, and to apply critical thinking, systems thinking, negotiation, and communication skills to solve real-life contextual problems. Establishing a strong foundation of engineering knowledge at a young age will provide students with internal motivation as it taps into their curiosity toward how things work, and it also prepares them for secondary science courses. Successful STEM education is often constrained by elementary teachers' low perception of self-efficacy to teach science and engineering. Elementary teachers with low self-efficacy in science are more likely to spend less instructional time teaching science, which suggests that teachers with little to no training in engineering might avoid teaching this topic. Therefore, the purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the effects of engineering professional development on elementary (K-6) teachers' content and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and perceptions of self-efficacy to teach engineering, and (b) to identify and explain sources influencing self-efficacy. Professional development was conducted in a metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest. Results revealed that after the engineering professional development, teachers experienced statistically significant gains in content, PCK, and self-efficacy to teach engineering. Increases in self-efficacy were mainly attributed to mastery experiences and cultivation of a growth mindset by embracing the engineering design process.

  3. [Professionalism: Values and competences in specialized medical training].

    PubMed

    Giménez, N; Alcaraz, J; Gavagnach, M; Kazan, R; Arévalo, A; Rodríguez-Carballeira, M

    To determine the perception of healthcare professionals (tutors, residents and teaching collaborators) involved in specialist medical training on the core values and skills to develop their tasks. A tailor-made questionnaire aimed at healthcare professionals in 9health care centres and a referral hospital. Questionnaire: 4 sections and 51 variables (scale 1-10). A total of 287 professionals participated, which included 97% tutors (n=59), 38% residents (n=61), and 56% others (97 teaching collaborators and 70 not associated with teaching). The alfa Cronbach coefficient was 0.945. Best rated values were work compliance (8.7 points), ethics in professional practice (8.6 points), and respect for their team (8.3 points). The best rated competence was communication with patients and families (8.1 points), followed by self-motivating leadership (7.9 points), and the practical application of medical and healthcare theoretical knowledge (7.8 points). The values received, on average, 0.7 points above competences (95% CI: 0.5-0.9). There were no differences between tutors and residents, although differences were found between doctors and nurses, and between males and females. Most of the professionals (tutors, residents, and teaching collaborators) share the same perception of the values and competencies that influence their professional development. This perception was influenced by the professional category and gender, but not age or working in a hospital or primary health care. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  4. Teaching about Refugees: Developing Culturally Responsive Educators in Contexts of Politicised Transnationalism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gagné, Antoinette; Schmidt, Clea; Markus, Paula

    2017-01-01

    This article addresses issues of teaching about refugees in initial teacher education and professional development for practicing teachers. We respond to the who, what, where, when, why and how of teaching about refugees and developing culturally responsive pedagogy in contexts of politicised transnationalism, where the wider politics around…

  5. A Can of Coke Leads to a Piece of Pi: A Professional Development Exercise for Educators Is an Adaptable Math Lesson for Many Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burns, Marilyn

    2004-01-01

    Teaching teachers to become observers and inquirers into mathematics will help change how they teach math to students. Essential to all professional development in mathematics is the idea that making sense of mathematics is key to learning. Just as learning to read calls for bringing meaning to the printed page, learning math calls for bringing…

  6. Reluctantly Governed: The Struggles of Early Educators in a Professional Development Course That Challenged Their Teaching in a High-Stakes Neo-Liberal Early Education Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Christopher P; Weber, Natalie Babiak; Yoon, Yeojoo

    2016-01-01

    This article documents the pedagogical and practical struggles of a sample of early educators in a large urban school district in the USA who engaged in a professional development course which offered them alternative conceptions of teaching that critically questioned the norms and practices of their high-stakes neo-liberal early education system.…

  7. PDLE: Extending Provisional Contributions. Volume 2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphey, Tim, Ed.

    2003-01-01

    Focusing on midcareer professionals, this second volume includes descriptive accounts of professional development opportunities designed specifically so that language teachers can reinvigorate their teaching and remain on the path of lifelong learning. Due to the amount of development that comes from collaboration with other professionals, this…

  8. Professional Ethics in Teaching: Towards the Development of a Code of Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Elizabeth

    2000-01-01

    Provides a theoretical discussion about the process of creating a professional code of ethics for educators. Discusses six key issues and questions, introducing the development of a code of professional ethics and the complexities the code should address. Includes references. (CMK)

  9. More than a Read-Aloud: Preparing and Inspiring Early Childhood Teachers to Develop Our Future Scientists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atiles, Julia T.; Jones, Jennifer L.; Anderson, James A.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of professional development on teachers' knowledge of teaching science and sense of efficacy regarding the teaching of science. In addition, the study explores the association between knowledge of teaching science and efficacy regarding the teaching of science. Participants included 28 early…

  10. Journal Article: Using Scientists and Real-World Scenarios in Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morrison, Judith A.; Estes, Jeffrey C.

    Middle school science teachers were involved in a problem-solving experience presented and guided by research scientists. Data on the teachers’ perspectives about this professional development and any impact it may have had on their teaching practices were collected through interviews, surveys, and classroom observations. The findings show that the professional development experience was positive, although one concern expressed by teachers was their lack of understanding of the scientists’ vocabulary. Using scientists and real-world scenarios was shown to be an effective strategy for encouraging middle school teachers to teach science as a process and help them strengthen their science content understanding.

  11. Exploring a Model of Situated Professional Development: Impact on Classroom Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singer, Jonathan; Lotter, Christine; Feller, Robert; Gates, Harry

    2011-04-01

    A hallmark of current science education reform involves teaching through inquiry. However, the widespread use of inquiry-based instruction in many classrooms has not occurred (Roehrig and Luft in Int J Sci Educ 26:3-24, 2004; Schneider et al. in J Res Sci Teach 42:283-312, 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a professional development program on middle school science teachers' ability to enact inquiry-based pedagogical practices. Data were generated through evaluation of teacher practice using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) (Sawada et al. in School Sci Math 102:245-253, 2002) at three distinct junctures, before, during, and after the professional development treatment. Analysis of teacher-participant post-institute reflections was then utilized to determine the perceived role of the various institute components. Statistical significant changes in RTOP scores indicated that the teachers were able to successfully transfer the enactment of the inquiry-based practices into their classrooms. The subsequent discussion provides connection between these pedagogical changes with use of professional development strategies that provide a situated learning environment.

  12. Developing Interpretive Power in Science Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosebery, Ann S.; Warren, Beth; Tucker-Raymond, Eli

    2016-01-01

    Early career teachers rarely receive sustained support for addressing issues of diversity and equity in their science teaching. This paper reports on design research to create a 30 hour professional development seminar focused on cultivating the interpretive power of early career teachers who teach science to students from historically…

  13. Using Simulation to Teach Project Management in the Professional Writing Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krause, Tim

    2010-01-01

    It hardly bears noting that when writing instructors teach professional writing they focus on helping students learn to analyze complex communication scenarios, conduct careful research to support their position, and to responsibly and succinctly apply the process of writing any number of supporting documents. Developing these skills are essential…

  14. Learning to Teach Computer Science: Qualitative Insights into Secondary Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hubbard, Aleata Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    In this dissertation, I explored the pedagogical content knowledge of in-service high school educators recently assigned to teach computer science for the first time. Teachers were participating in a professional development program where they co-taught introductory computing classes with tech industry professionals. The study was motivated by…

  15. Creating Supportive and Subversive Spaces as Professional Dyads Enact Culturally Relevant Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glover, Crystal P.; Harris, Chinyere N.; Polson, Bilal; Boardman, Alicia

    2017-01-01

    In 2013, several leaders of the Early Childhood Education Assembly (ECEA) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) developed a multi-year project called Professional Dyads and Culturally Relevant Teaching (PDCRT). Funded by NCTE, early childhood teacher/teacher-educator dyads from various locations across the United States work…

  16. Talking Art: Fostering Positive Dialogue between Arts Specialists and Classroom Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Purnell, Paula G.

    2005-01-01

    The author had an opportunity to teach two professional development classes at the Children's Museum in Pittsburgh. One class was titled "American History through Folk Music" and the other "Celebrating Diversity in the Classroom through the Arts." The subject matter brought together a wonderful collection of teaching professionals--from preschool…

  17. Reforming Teacher Education through a Professionally Applied Study of Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ure, Christine Leslie

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a review of research of teacher education and the formulation of a model of teacher development that encompasses five domains of knowledge. The model provides a curriculum and pedagogical framework for initial teacher education that links together the theoretical, practical and professional elements of teaching and learning.…

  18. Collaborative Professional Development for Statistics Teaching: A Case Study of Two Middle-School Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Oliveira Souza, Leandro; Lopes, Celi Espasandin; Pfannkuch, Maxine

    2015-01-01

    The recent introduction of statistics into the Brazilian curriculum has presented a multi-problematic situation for teacher professional development. Drawing on research in the areas of teacher development and statistical inquiry, we propose a Teacher Professional Development Cycle (TPDC) model. This paper focuses on two teachers who planned a…

  19. Teacher Self-Efficacy and Cultural Proficiency: Program Evaluation for EL MAR Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Catherine Hofius

    2014-01-01

    Many classroom teachers across the United States struggle to teach English language learners (ELLs) effectively, despite professional development in ELL strategies. This national problem is reflected in a rural middle school, the focus of this study. To address the academic needs of low-performing ELLs, the professional development model,…

  20. Developing Oral Presentation Competence in Professional Contexts: A Design-Based Collaborative Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pathak, Anil; Le Vasan, Mani

    2015-01-01

    The need to develop oral presentation skills with reference to students' specialized professional contexts has been well-recognised. Attempts have also been made to develop collaboration between engineering faculty and language teaching professionals. In this paper, we describe an experiment where students were given an opportunity to demonstrate…

  1. A Professional Development on Autism Spectrum Disorders for Special Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, LaShunda

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the effects of a 2-day professional development for special education teachers of students who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The professional development included general knowledge of ASDs and teaching strategies that could be used in the classroom to assist children with ASDs. This study also ascertained teachers'…

  2. Mathematics Teachers' Take-Aways from Morning Math Problems in a Long-Term Professional Development Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sevis, Serife; Cross, Dionne; Hudson, Rick

    2017-01-01

    Considering the role of mathematics-focused professional development programs in improving teachers' content knowledge and quality of teaching, we provided teachers opportunities for dealing with mathematics problems and positioning themselves as students in a large-scale long-term professional development (PD) project. In this proposal, we aimed…

  3. Teachers' Online Experience: Is There a Covert Curriculum in Online Professional Development?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norton, Priscilla; Hathaway, Dawn

    2015-01-01

    Although the literature emphasizes the need for teachers to have online learning experiences in preparation for teaching online, teachers have few opportunities to experience online learning. One opportunity is online professional development. The authors hypothesized that online professional development might serve not only as a way to gain…

  4. Making Professional Development Schools Work: Politics, Practice, and Policy. The Series on School Reform.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levine, Marsha, Ed.; Trachtman, Roberta, Ed.

    The 11 chapters in this book are organized into 3 parts. "Part 1: Making Changes at the Core" contains five chapters: (1) "Learning To Teach in Professional Development Schools" (Kenneth Zeichner and Maurine Miller); (2) "'Making It Happen': Creating a Subculture of Mentoring in a Professional Development School"…

  5. Increasing Implementation of Effective Teaching: A Professional Development Model of Least-to-Most Supports for Special Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCollow, Meaghan M.

    2013-01-01

    Professional development serves as means of transferring skills and knowledge to in-service educators (Reid, 2010) and of aiding practitioners in maintaining a current knowledge base (Grimes, Kurns, & Tilly, 2006; Jacobson, 1990). Much remains unanswered regarding how to enhance professional development and increase implementation of…

  6. Preparing Teachers to Remediate Reading Disabilities in High School: What Is Needed for Effective Professional Development?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lovett, Maureen W.; Lacerenza, Lea; De Palma, Maria; Benson, Nancy J.; Steinbach, Karen A.; Frijters, Jan C.

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we ask what constitutes effective professional development for teachers faced with struggling readers in high school. Metacognitive teacher training, instructional coaching, mentorship, and collaborative learning are considered. We describe a professional development model preparing high school teachers to teach PHAST PACES, a…

  7. Are Teachers Who Need Sustained, Content-Focused Professional Development Getting It? An Administrator's Dilemma

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desimone, Laura M.; Smith, Thomas M.; Ueno, Koji

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: Policymakers and administrators are increasingly focusing on professional development as a means to improve teaching quality. In this study, the authors examine whether professional development in mathematics is primarily performing an educative function by addressing weak teacher preparation, or a catalytic function by serving mainly…

  8. Using Classroom Artifacts to Measure the Efficacy of a Professional Development. CRESST Report 761

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silk, Yael; Silver, David; Amerian, Stephanie; Nishimura, Claire; Boscardin, Christy Kim

    2009-01-01

    This report describes a classroom artifact measure and presents early findings from an efficacy study of WestEd's Reading Apprenticeship (RA) professional development program. The professional development is designed to teach high school teachers how to integrate subject-specific literacy instruction into their regular curricula. The current RA…

  9. Professional Development, Teacher Efficacy, and Collaboration in Title I Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rostan, MaryMargret

    2009-01-01

    A problem exists in the U.S. education system regarding the efforts to refine professional development and gain a deeper understanding of content knowledge to impact teachers' abilities to meet students' needs. Many teachers have not had the professional development opportunities that support the improvement of teaching skills and knowledge. The…

  10. Does Adult Educator Professional Development Make a Difference? Myths and Realities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerka, Sandra

    An evidence-based connection between adult educator professional development (PD) and learner outcomes is difficult to document, yet there is an intuitive assumption that professional development is linked to better teaching and learning outcomes. The field appears to be shifting away from one-shot PD to practitioner engagement in sustained,…

  11. 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…

  12. 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…

  13. Effective Professional Development for E-Learning: What Do the Managers Think?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Amy

    2012-01-01

    Introducing new methods of teaching and learning requires an institutional approach to professional development in order to cater for the different levels and requirements of staff. The increase in e-learning use has prompted many institutions to adopt a whole organisation approach to professional development for lecturers. This paper proposes to…

  14. Exploring a Framework for Professional Development in Curriculum Innovation: Empowering Teachers for Designing Context-Based Chemistry Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stolk, Machiel J.; de Jong, Onno; Bulte, Astrid M. W.; Pilot, Albert

    2011-05-01

    Involving teachers in early stages of context-based curriculum innovations requires a professional development programme that actively engages teachers in the design of new context-based units. This study considers the implementation of a teacher professional development framework aiming to investigate processes of professional development. The framework is based on Galperin's theory of the internalisation of actions and it is operationalised into a professional development programme to empower chemistry teachers for designing new context-based units. The programme consists of the teaching of an educative context-based unit, followed by the designing of an outline of a new context-based unit. Six experienced chemistry teachers participated in the instructional meetings and practical teaching in their respective classrooms. Data were obtained from meetings, classroom discussions, and observations. The findings indicated that teachers became only partially empowered for designing a new context-based chemistry unit. Moreover, the process of professional development leading to teachers' empowerment was not carried out as intended. It is concluded that the elaboration of the framework needs improvement. The implications for a new programme are discussed.

  15. Enhancing Teaching Assistants' (TAs') Inquiry Teaching by Means of Teaching Observations and Reflective Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Kristen; Brickman, Peggy; Oliver, J. Steve

    2014-01-01

    Recent education reform efforts advocate teaching the process of science (inquiry) in undergraduate lecture and laboratory classes. To meet this challenge, professional development for the graduate student instructors (teaching assistants, or TAs) often assigned to teach these classes is needed. This study explored the implementation of an…

  16. Promoting academic excellence through leadership development at the University of Washington: the Teaching Scholars Program.

    PubMed

    Robins, Lynne; Ambrozy, Donna; Pinsky, Linda E

    2006-11-01

    The University of Washington Teaching Scholars Program (TSP) was established in 1995 to prepare faculty for local and national leadership and promote academic excellence by fostering a community of educational leaders to innovate, enliven, and enrich the environment for teaching and learning at the University of Washington (UW). Faculty in the Department of Medical Education and Biomedical Informatics designed and continue to implement the program. Qualified individuals from the UW Health Sciences Professional Schools and foreign scholars who are studying at the UW are eligible to apply for acceptance into the program. To date, 109 faculty and fellows have participated in the program, the majority of whom have been physicians. The program is committed to interprofessional education and seeks to diversify its participants. The curriculum is developed collaboratively with each cohort and comprises topics central to medical education and an emergent set of topics related to the specific interests and teaching responsibilities of the participating scholars. Core sessions cover the history of health professions education, learning theories, educational research methods, assessment, curriculum development, instructional methods, professionalism, and leadership. To graduate, scholars must complete a scholarly project in curriculum development, faculty development, or educational research; demonstrate progress towards construction of a teaching portfolio; and participate regularly and actively in program sessions. The TSP has developed and nurtured an active cadre of supportive colleagues who are transforming educational practice, elevating the status of teaching, and increasing the recognition of teachers. Graduates fill key teaching and leadership positions at the UW and in national and international professional organizations.

  17. Peer Observation of Teaching: Reflections of an Early Career Academic

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eri, Rajaraman

    2014-01-01

    Peer observation of teaching (POT) is a reciprocal process where a peer observes another's teaching (classroom, virtual, on-line or even teaching resource such as unit outlines, assignments). Peers then provide constructive feedbacks that would enable teaching professional development through the mirror of critical reflection by both the observer…

  18. Creating Conditions for Professional Practice in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kepner, Henry S., Jr.; Nelson, Robert W.

    Educators should know the components of the school situation before they enter the profession. To establish a work setting conducive to professional development, the educator must work within the community, the school district organization, the school itself, the teaching program, and professional development activities. These components should…

  19. Teachers Teaching Differently: A Qualitative Study of Implementation Fidelity to Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woolley, Michael E.; Rose, Roderick A.; Mercado, Micaela; Orthner, Dennis K.

    2013-01-01

    Intervention researchers in school settings often implement interventions that involve professional development to schoolteachers or other professional staff to implement school-based interventions. In terms of classroom interventions, teachers are the primary implementation agents; therefore, the fidelity of such interventions depends on teacher…

  20. Supporting Junior Faculty through a Teaching Fellows Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin, Ann E.

    1992-01-01

    The Lily Endowment Teaching Fellows Program supports the professional development of junior faculty through regular group meetings, individual projects, release time from teaching responsibilities, senior faculty mentors, and retreats and conferences. Positive impact is reported for teaching skills and attitudes, collegial contacts, perceived…

  1. Undergraduate and Teaching Assistants' Perceptions of Classroom Community in Freshman Biological Sciences Laboratories and Implications for Persistence and Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kardohely, Andrew

    The American economy hinges on the health and production of science, technology engineering and mathematics workforce (STEM). Although this sector of the American workforce represents a substantially fewer jobs the STEM workforce fuels job growth and sustainability in the other sectors of the American workforce. Unfortunately, over the next decade the U.S. will face an additional deficit of over a million STEM professionals, thus the need is here now to fill this deficit. STEM education should, therefore, dedicated to producing graduates. One strategy to produce more STEM graduates is through retention of student in STEM majors. Retention or persistence is highly related to student sense of belonging in academic environments. This study investigates graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) perceptions of their classrooms and the implications of those perceptions on professional development. Furthermore, correlations between classroom community and student desire to persist, as measured by Rovai's Classroom Community Index (CCI) were established (P=0.0311). The interactions are described and results are discussed. Using a framework of teaching for community, and a qualitative analytic case study with memo writing about codes and themes methodology supported several themes including passion to teach and dedication to student learning, innovation in teaching practices based on evidence, an intrinsic desire to seek a diverse set of feedback, and instructors can foster community in the classroom. Using the same methodology one emergent theme, a tacit rather than explicit understanding of reading the classroom, was also present in the current study. Based on the results and using a lens for professional development, strategies and suggestions are made regarding strategies to enhance instructors' use of feedback and professional development.

  2. Rules of Engagement: Developing the Online Tutor

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGuigan, Aileen; Golden, Lucy

    2012-01-01

    This paper considers professional development in a context that is familiar and problematic to teaching teams in tertiary education everywhere, that of delivering online programmes with an ever-decreasing complement of staff. The Teaching Qualification Further Education (TQFE) teaching team at University of Dundee confronted the reality of reduced…

  3. You Can't Teach Me: Exploring Academic Resistance to Teaching Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deaker, Lynley; Stein, Sarah J.; Spiller, Dorothy

    2016-01-01

    Societal, governmental, and research expectations of universities in contemporary western society have led to increasing calls for teacher professionalism and accountability as well as research excellence and research-informed teaching. Consequently, demands on academic staff development continually emerge, which academics may view as oppressive.…

  4. Visualization on triangle concept using Adobe Flash Professional SC6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sagita, Laela; Ratih Kusumarini, Adha

    2017-12-01

    The purpose of this paper is to develop teaching aids using Adobe Flash Professional CS6 emphasize on Triangle concept. A new alternative way to deliver a basic concept in geometry with visualization is software Adobe Flash Professional CS 6. Research method is research and development with 5 phase of Ploom’s model, namely (1) preliminary, (2) design, (3) realization/ construction, (4) test, evaluation and revision, and 5) implementation. The results showed that teaching aids was valid, practice, and effective. Validity: expert judgement for material score is 3.95 and media expert judgement produce an average score of 3,2, both in the category are valid. Practically: the average of questionnaire response is 4,04 (good). Effectiveness: n-gain test value is 0,36 (medium). It concluded that developed of teaching aids using Adobe Flash CS6 on triangle can improve student achievement.

  5. Characteristics of place identity as part of professional identity development among pre-service teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gross, Michal; Hochberg, Nurit

    2016-12-01

    How do pre-service teachers perceive place identity, and is there a connection between their formative place identity and the development of their professional teaching identity? These questions are probed among pre-service teachers who participated in a course titled "Integrating Nature into Preschool." The design of the course was based on a multidimensional teaching model that yields a matrix of students' perceptions and the practical aspects derived from them as the students undergo a range of experiences in the course of an academic year. The profile of perceptions uses a mixed-methods analysis that presents statements attesting to four indicators of place identity: familiarity, belonging, involvement, and meaningfulness. These indicators point to a broad spectrum of perceptions arrayed on a continual time axes as well as differences in perception and its complexity. A connection between the development of place identity and that of professional teaching identity is found.

  6. The impact of a professional development model on middle school science teachers' efficacy and implementation of inquiry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lotter, Christine; Smiley, Whitney; Thompson, Stephen; Dickenson, Tammiee

    2016-12-01

    This study investigated a professional development model designed to improve teachers' inquiry teaching efficacy as well as the quality of their inquiry instruction through engaging teachers in practice-teaching and reflection sessions. The programme began with a two-week summer Institute focused on both inquiry pedagogy and science content and continued with academic year support for participants' inquiry implementation. An inquiry teaching efficacy instrument was administered 3 times to 25 teacher participants to gauge changes in their personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy across 5 essential features of classroom inquiry. To examine actual practices, pre/post classroom observations of the teachers' inquiry enactments were evaluated using a quality of inquiry observation protocol. Following the summer Institute, teachers had statistically significant increases in their self-efficacy for teaching inquiry in four of the five essential features and increases in one of the five essential features for outcome expectancy. Teachers' quality of inquiry teaching also increased after the professional development programme. We discuss implications of this PD model for moving teachers towards implementation of new instructional techniques as well as the influence of a supportive school community on teachers' efficacy with inquiry instruction.

  7. The EarthLabs Approach to Curriculum and Professional Development: Earth Science Education in the 21st Century

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mote, A. S.; Ellins, K. K.; Haddad, N.

    2011-12-01

    Humans are modifying planet Earth at an alarming rate without fully understanding how our actions will affect the atmosphere, hydrosphere, or biosphere. Recognizing the value of educating people to become citizens who can make informed decisions about Earth's resources and challenges, Texas currently offers Earth and Space Science as a rigorous high school capstone course. The new course has created a need for high quality instructional resources and professional development to equip teachers with the most up to date content knowledge, pedagogical approaches, and technological skills to be able to teach a rigorous Earth and Space Science course. As a participant in the NSF-sponsored Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution teacher professional development program, I was selected to participate in a curriculum development project led by TERC to create Earth System Science and climate change resources for the EarthLabs collection. To this end, I am involved in multiple phases of the EarthLabs project, including reviewing the lab-based units during the development phase, pilot teaching the units with my students, participating in research, and ultimately delivering professional development to other teachers to turn them on to the new modules. My partnership with the EarthLabs project has strengthened my teaching practice by increasing my involvement with curriculum development and collaboration and interaction with other Earth science educators. Critically evaluating the lab modules prior to delivering the lessons to my students has prepared me to more effectively teach the EarthLabs modules in my classroom and present the material to other teachers during professional development workshops. The workshop was also strengthened by planning meetings held with EarthLabs partner teachers in which we engaged in lively discussions regarding misconceptions in Earth science, held by both students and adults, and pedagogical approaches to uncover these misconceptions. Collaboration and discussion among members of the EarthLabs team and partner teachers was instrumental to improving the quality of the EarthLabs modules and the professional development workshop. Furthermore, leading the workshop alongside other partner teachers gave me the confidence and experience to deliver professional development to my colleagues and introduce the newly developed EarthLabs modules to other teachers. In this session I will share my experiences and report on the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from being a part of the EarthLabs curriculum and professional development process.

  8. The Relationship between Peer Coaching, Collaboration and Collegiality, Teacher Effectiveness and Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koch, Margaret-Ann

    2014-01-01

    Professional development allows teachers to create professional knowledge and increase collaboration and collegiality to promote quality teaching and leadership. Peer coaching is frequently overlooked as a form of professional development. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of participation in a voluntary…

  9. 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…

  10. Benefits of Professional Development Schools: The Hidden Message in the Forest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kochan, Frances K.

    1998-01-01

    Investigated the benefits of Professional Development School (PDS) endeavors as perceived by university faculty participating in the Holmes Group. Data from open-ended surveys identified four themes related to PDS benefits: (1) improved teaching/learning environments; (2) improved collegiality in professional relationships; (3) personal and…

  11. Science Faculty Belief Systems in a Professional Development Program: Inquiry in College Laboratories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hutchins, Kristen L.; Friedrichsen, Patricia J.

    2012-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how science faculty members' belief systems about inquiry-based teaching changed through their experience in a professional development program. The program was designed to support early career science faculty in learning about inquiry and incorporating an inquiry-based approach to teaching laboratories. Data sources for this qualitative study included three semi-structured interviews, observations during the program and during faculty members' implementation in their courses, and a researcher's journal. In the first phase of data analysis, we created profiles for each of the four participants. Next, we developed assertions, and tested for confirming and disconfirming evidence across the profiles. The assertions indicated that, through the professional development program, participants' knowledge and beliefs about inquiry-based teaching shifted, placing more value on student-directed learning and classroom inquiry. Participants who were internally motivated to participate and held incoming positive attitudes toward the mini-journal inquiry-based approach were more likely to incorporate the approach in their future practice. Students' responses played a critical role in participants' belief systems and their decision to continue using the inquiry-based format. The findings from this study have implications for professional development design.

  12. Medical Students' Professional Development as Educators Revealed Through Reflections on Their Teaching Following a Students-as-Teachers Course.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Michelle H; Blatt, Benjamin C; Greenberg, Larrie W

    2017-01-01

    Phenomenon: Teaching is an important part of the tri-partite mission of every medical center. Although teaching often is given lower priority and recognition as opposed to patient care and/or research, this activity for many physicians in academic medicine ranks second to their patient care responsibilities. Medical teacher training has traditionally been aimed at faculty and residents through faculty development initiatives, continuing education for physicians at professional conferences, formalized degree or certificate programs in education, and residents as teachers programs. More recently medical schools have developed medical-students-as-teachers programs, often offered as 4th-year electives, to introduce learners to the theory of teaching and learning with appropriate application in the clinical setting. Data on learner outcomes and students' perceptions and experiences in these programs consist mostly of their satisfaction after completing such a program. In this article we explore 4th-year medical student trainees' experiences and emerging self-concepts as educators during a teaching elective. The purpose of this project was to explore students' reflections on their experiences in a 4th-year medical students-as-teachers course in their own words through their written self-assessment narratives. We used qualitative content analysis to examine 96 trainees' self-reported, written reflective narratives of how they translated their students-as-teachers course experience into application by applying newly learned educational theories, instructional strategies, and feedback skills while teaching novice peers physical diagnosis skills. Narratives revealed candid self-assessments and detailed descriptions of their experiences and what they valued most from the course. Content analysis revealed nine key themes: using teaching strategies for adult learning, preparing for class, modeling professionalism, incorporating clinical correlations, exceeding course requirements, giving and receiving feedback, providing mentoring, creating a positive learning climate, and growing as educators. Insights: This study's results reveal how learners perceive and translate their experiences in a teaching course, in terms of incorporating particular knowledge or skills, valuing or displaying certain professional behaviors, and gaining self-awareness and satisfaction from teaching experiences. The findings of this study, specifically major themes from self-assessment narratives, provide us with a better understanding of medical students' developing identities and emerging professional self-concept as educators, specifically as experienced through a combination of formal teaching, and applying education theories and strategies. Findings may be informative from a program evaluation lens but also for faculty development initiatives related to training medical teachers and the larger landscape of the emerging field of Health Professions Education.

  13. Clinical veterinary education: insights from faculty and strategies for professional development in clinical teaching.

    PubMed

    Lane, India F; Strand, Elizabeth

    2008-01-01

    Missing in the recent calls for accountability and assurance of veterinary students' clinical competence are similar calls for competence in clinical teaching. Most clinician educators have no formal training in teaching theory or method. At the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), we have initiated multiple strategies to enhance the quality of teaching in our curriculum and in clinical settings. An interview study of veterinary faculty was completed to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of clinical education; findings were used in part to prepare a professional development program in clinical teaching. Centered on principles of effective feedback, the program prepares participants to organize clinical rotation structure and orientation, maximize teaching moments, improve teaching and participation during formal rounds, and provide clearer summative feedback to students at the end of a rotation. The program benefits from being situated within a larger college-wide focus on teaching improvement. We expect the program's audience and scope to continue to expand.

  14. [Application of participatory teaching mode in oral health education].

    PubMed

    Ci, Xiang-ke; Zhao, Yu-hong; Wan, Li; Xiong, Wei; Wang, Yu-jiang; Ou, Xiao-yan

    2013-06-01

    To apply participatory teaching mode in oral health education, and to assess its role in cultivating comprehensive stomatological professionals suitable for the development of modern medicine. Sixty undergraduate students from grade 2005 in Stomatological College of Nanchang University were selected. Among those students, oral health education course was carried out by traditional teaching mode, while 120 undergraduate students from grades 2006 to 2007 received participatory teaching approach, which paid attention to practice in oral health education practice course. After the course, a survey and evaluation of teaching effectiveness was conducted. Questionnaire survey showed that participatory teaching mode could significantly improve the students' capabilities and provide much more help to their study. Application of participatory teaching mode in oral health education course for undergraduates is feasible. It can improve students' comprehensive ability and cultivate their cultural literacy and scientific literacy. It also meets the training goal of stomatological professionals and the development trend of education reform. Supported by Higher School Teaching Reform Research Subject of Jiangxi Province(JXJG-10-1-42).

  15. Supporting Science Teachers in Alignment with State Curriculum Standards through Professional Development: Teachers' Preparedness, Expectations and Their Fulfillment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paik, Sunhee; Zhang, Meilan; Lundeberg, Mary A.; Eberhardt, Jan; Shin, Tae Seob; Zhang, Tianyi

    2011-08-01

    Since A Nation at Risk was released in the 1980s, standards-based reform has been the most dominant trend in American educational policy, and the No Child Left Behind Act pushed the trend further by requiring states to develop rigorous curriculum standards. Though much has been said about these new standards, less has been said about whether or how well professional development helps teachers link their instruction to these standards. This study examined the impact of a professional development program for K-12 science teachers in helping teachers meet state curriculum standards. Seventy-five science teachers in Michigan participated in a 2-week summer workshop that used Problem-Based Learning for improving teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers surveyed participating teachers about the change of teachers' preparedness for standards-based teaching, their expectations to meet state curriculum standards, and whether their expectations were met. In addition, the usefulness of workshop activities was examined. Data analysis showed that to align teaching with state curriculum standards, participating teachers expected to learn instructional strategies and enhance science content knowledge through professional development, and by and large their expectations were well met. Collaboration with colleagues and facilitators helped teachers achieve their goals in terms of teaching within state curriculum standards. These findings have important implications for designing professional development to help teachers align instruction with curriculum standards.

  16. A Program for Teaching and Learning to Read Professional Texts in a Second/Foreign Language at Siemens AG.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Flanagan, M. J. R.

    A course was developed for teaching reading comprehension of English technical texts to German speaking professionals. Before proceeding with the course, students are administered a memory test and vocabulary test to determine their initial skill levels in English. The materials used for the course include learner's dictionaries of approximately…

  17. An Investigation of Research-Based Teaching Practices through the Teacher Evaluations in Indiana Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sargent, Michael Steven

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify if a relationship existed between the implementation of professional evaluation processes and the use of research-based teaching practices, factoring in both perceptions of principals and practicing teachers. The variables of professional development on the evaluation model and the principal's years of…

  18. Narrative Explorations into the Professional Development of Lecturers Teaching Higher Education in English Further Education Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, Rebecca; Brown, Tony; Edwards-Jones, Andrew; Hughes, Julie; Banks, Alison; Bardsley, Janet; Bryan, Yvette; Gray, Claire; Isaac, Amanda; Mann, Judith; Mason, Maureen; McKenzie, Liz; Osborn, Julie; Rowe, Martin; Stone, Mark; Wilkinson, Rachel

    2015-01-01

    The diversification of settings in which higher education is delivered has resulted in a growing proportion of lecturers entering teaching from professional backgrounds. This is a challenging transition as lecturers are rarely given the space to consider the implications of this move on their identities and practice styles. Writing is recognised…

  19. Reclaiming the Word "Standards": Professional Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia (the STELLA Project).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doecke, Brenton; Gill, Margaret; McClenaghan, Douglas

    In 1998, the Australian Research Council provided funding for a three year research project to develop professional standards and assessments for the English teaching profession. The project team is a consortium of researchers from three major universities together with the two national English teaching associations and representatives from state…

  20. Pre-Service Teachers' Professional Learning Experiences during Rural Teaching Practice in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga Province

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nkambule, Thabisile; Mukeredzi, Tabitha Grace

    2017-01-01

    The concept of student teaching practice is globally rooted in training pre-service teachers to work within diverse schools and learner populations, in dissimilar contexts. It is also a drive towards the development of knowledge, professionalism, sense of efficacy, and flexibility in their performance and interactions. There is seemingly little…

  1. 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…

  2. Assessing the Interactivity and Prescriptiveness of Faculty Professional Development Workshops: The Real-Time Professional Development Observation Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olmstead, Alice; Turpen, Chandra

    2016-01-01

    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.…

  3. Head Start Classroom Teachers' and Assistant Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development Using a Learn Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nasser, Ilham; Kidd, Julie K.; Burns, M. Susan; Campbell, Trina

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates early childhood education teachers' and assistant teachers' views about a year-long professional development model that focuses on developing intentional teaching. The study shares the results of interviews conducted with the teachers at the end of the implementation of a one-year experimental professional model in Head…

  4. Evaluation of a District-wide Inservice Professional Development Program for Teaching Science: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dass, Pradeep Maxwell

    1999-01-01

    Nationwide dissemination of the Iowa Chautauqua Model for inservice professional development of K-12 science teachers has led to new professional development programs in many states. Discusses a formative evaluation of the implementation of the Collier Chautauqua Program (CCP) which focuses on teacher enhancement resulting from participation in…

  5. Impact of the Teacher Study Group Professional Development Program on Student Vocabulary and Observed Teaching Practice: A Replication in First Grade Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gersten, Russell; Dimino, Joseph; Jayanthi, Madhavi; Newman-Gonchar, Rebecca; Taylor, Mary Jo

    2013-01-01

    The ESEA Blueprint for Reform states that teachers need "effective, ongoing, job-embedded, professional development that is targeted to student and school needs… [and] aligned with evidence of improvements in student learning." Unfortunately, the professional development approaches advocated, though sensible and compelling in theory,…

  6. Teacher Experience, Learning, and Change: An Investigation of the Effects of Long-Term Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coffino, Kara Lee

    2012-01-01

    As US public schools become increasingly diverse and teachers are expected to teach across cultural differences, teacher educators must consider how different professional development models shape teacher learning and practice. This study explores how a cohort of 55 P-12 teachers experienced and perceived long-term professional development focused…

  7. Case Study of Science Teachers' Professional Development in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Improvements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alshehry, Amel

    2018-01-01

    Professional development has a major role in addressing the skill gaps of teachers. Recently, much effort has been focused on improving teaching practices in Saudi Arabia. Here we aim to determine Saudi teachers professional development needs in the higher educational system. We also focus on skill needs, training programs, factors affecting…

  8. The Pitfalls of Focusing on Instructional Strategies in Professional Development for Teachers of English Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molle, Daniella

    2013-01-01

    For more than a decade, the professional development literature has shown that most teachers are not adequately prepared to teach English learners (ELs)--that holds true for both specialist and mainstream teachers (see, for example, August & Hakuta, 1997; Beykont, 2002). Research that focuses on professional development for teachers of ELs,…

  9. Teacher Educators: Proposing New Professional Development Models within an English Further Education Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eliahoo, Rebecca

    2017-01-01

    At a time of increasing public and government focus on the quality of teacher education, little is known about the professional development needs of those who teach teachers in further education (FE). Yet they are crucial players. Efforts are intensifying across a significant number of countries to promote the professional development of teacher…

  10. An Examination of Oregon Writing Project Teachers: A Qualitative Study of Professional Development Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Obery, Angela D.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study examined the influence of the 2011 Oregon Writing Project (OWP) Summer Institute (SI) on the professional development of six teachers in the following ways: 1. The development of case descriptions of teachers' personal and professional backgrounds relevant to their teaching of writing. 2. An examination of the effects of the…

  11. Exploring Part-Time Teacher Professional Development and Best Practices on Adult Learners' Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Sandra K.

    2017-01-01

    The issue of limited part-time teacher professional development and its effect on adult learners' success at an adult education center in the northeast United States was addressed in this study. At the research site, almost 50% of the teaching staff are adjuncts. Professional development opportunities have been limited, with only 1 opportunity…

  12. Teaching and evaluation of ethics and professionalism

    PubMed Central

    Pauls, Merril A.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Objective To document the scope of the teaching and evaluation of ethics and professionalism in Canadian family medicine postgraduate training programs, and to identify barriers to the teaching and evaluation of ethics and professionalism. Design A survey was developed in collaboration with the Committee on Ethics of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. The data are reported descriptively and in aggregate. Setting Canadian postgraduate family medicine training programs. Participants Between June and December of 2008, all 17 Canadian postgraduate family medicine training programs were invited to participate. Main outcome measures The first part of the survey explored the structure, resources, methods, scheduled hours, and barriers to teaching ethics and professionalism. The second section focused on end-of-rotation evaluations, other evaluation strategies, and barriers related to the evaluation of ethics and professionalism. Results Eighty-eight percent of programs completed the survey. Most respondents (87%) had learning objectives specifically for ethics and professionalism, and 87% had family doctors with training or interest in the area leading their efforts. Two-thirds of responding programs had less than 10 hours of scheduled instruction per year, and the most common barriers to effective teaching were the need for faculty development, competing learning needs, and lack of resident interest. Ninety-three percent of respondents assessed ethics and professionalism on their end-of-rotation evaluations, with 86% assessing specific domains. The most common barriers to evaluation were a lack of suitable tools and a lack of faculty comfort and interest. Conclusion By far most Canadian family medicine postgraduate training programs had learning objectives and designated faculty leads in ethics and professionalism, yet there was little curricular time dedicated to these areas and a perceived lack of resident interest and faculty expertise. Most programs evaluated ethics and professionalism as part of their end-of-rotation evaluations, but only a small number used novel means of evaluation, and most cited a lack of suitable assessment tools as an important barrier. PMID:23242906

  13. Building locally relevant ethics curricula for nursing education in Botswana.

    PubMed

    Barchi, F; Kasimatis Singleton, M; Magama, M; Shaibu, S

    2014-12-01

    The goal of this multi-institutional collaboration was to develop an innovative, locally relevant ethics curriculum for nurses in Botswana. Nurses in Botswana face ethical challenges that are compounded by lack of resources, pressures to handle tasks beyond training or professional levels, workplace stress and professional isolation. Capacity to teach nursing ethics in the classroom and in professional practice settings has been limited. A pilot curriculum, including cases set in local contexts, was tested with nursing faculty in Botswana in 2012. Thirty-three per cent of the faculty members indicated they would be more comfortable teaching ethics. A substantial number of faculty members were more likely to introduce the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics in teaching, practice and mentoring as a result of the training. Based on evaluation data, curricular materials were developed using the Code and the regulatory requirements for nursing practice in Botswana. A web-based repository of sample lectures, discussion cases and evaluation rubrics was created to support the use of the materials. A new master degree course, Nursing Ethics in Practice, has been proposed for fall 2015 at the University of Botswana. The modular nature of the materials and the availability of cases set within the context of clinical nurse practice in Botswana make them readily adaptable to various student academic levels and continuing professional development programmes. The ICN Code of Ethics for Nursing is a valuable teaching tool in developing countries when taught using locally relevant case materials and problem-based teaching methods. The approach used in the development of a locally relevant nursing ethics curriculum in Botswana can serve as a model for nursing education and continuing professional development programmes in other sub-Saharan African countries to enhance use of the ICN Code of Ethics in nursing practice. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

  14. Implementing Action Research and Professional Learning Communities in a Professional Development School Setting to Support Teacher Candidate Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shanks, Joyce

    2016-01-01

    The paper reviews teacher candidates' use of action research and the Professional Learning Community (PLC) concept to support their work in their pre-student teaching field experience. In this research study, teacher candidates are involved in a professional development school relationship that uses action research and PLCs to support candidate…

  15. "It's worth our time": a model of culturally and linguistically supportive professional development for K-12 STEM educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Charity Hudley, Anne H.; Mallinson, Christine

    2017-09-01

    Professional development on issues of language and culture is often separate from professional development on issues related to STEM education, resulting in linguistic and cultural gaps in K-12 STEM pedagogy and practice. To address this issue, we have designed a model of professional development in which we work with educators to build cultural and linguistic competence and to disseminate information about how educators view the relevance of language, communication, and culture to STEM teaching and learning. We describe the design and facilitation of our model of culturally and linguistically responsive professional development, grounded in theories of multicultural education and culturally supportive teaching, through professional development workshops to 60 K-12 STEM educators from schools in Maryland and Virginia that serve African American students. Participants noted that culturally and linguistically responsive approaches had yet to permeate their K-12 STEM settings, which they identified as a critical challenge to effectively teaching and engaging African-American students. Based on pre-surveys, workshops were tailored to participants' stated needs for information on literacy (e.g., disciplinary literacies and discipline-specific jargon), cultural conflict and mismatch (e.g., student-teacher miscommunication), and linguistic bias in student assessment (e.g., test design). Educators shared feedback via post-workshop surveys, and a subset of 28 participants completed in-depth interviews and a focus group. Results indicate the need for further implementation of professional development such as ours that address linguistic and cultural issues, tailored for K-12 STEM educators. Although participants in this study enumerated several challenges to meeting this need, they also identified opportunities for collaborative solutions that draw upon teacher expertise and are integrated with curricula across content areas.

  16. A Professional Development Teaching Course for Science Graduate Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baumgartner, Erin

    2007-01-01

    Although the majority of the teaching faculty at U.S. universities is composed of people who are scientific experts, research has found that most scientists do not have information about effective teaching methods (DeHaan 2005). Traditional lecture-style college science teaching does not reflect knowledge about best teaching practices based upon…

  17. What students learn about professionalism from faculty stories: an "appreciative inquiry" approach.

    PubMed

    Quaintance, Jennifer L; Arnold, Louise; Thompson, George S

    2010-01-01

    To develop a method for teaching professionalism by enabling students and faculty members to share positive examples of professionalism in a comfortable environment that reflects the authentic experiences of physicians. Medical educators struggle with the teaching of professionalism. Professionalism definitions can guide what they teach, but they must also consider how they teach it, and constructs such as explicit role modeling, situated learning, and appreciative inquiry provide appropriate models. The project consisted of students interviewing faculty members about their experiences with professionalism and then reflecting on and writing about the teachers' stories. In 2004, 62 students interviewed 33 faculty members, and 193 students observed the interviews. Using a project Web site, 36 students wrote 132 narratives based on the faculty's stories, and each student offered his or her reflections on one narrative. The authors analyzed the content of the narratives and reflections via an iterative process of independent coding and discussion to resolve disagreements. Results showed that the narratives were rich and generally positive; they illustrated a broad range of the principles contained in many definitions of professionalism: humanism, accountability, altruism, and excellence. The students' reflections demonstrated awareness of the same major principles of professionalism that the faculty conveyed. The reflections served to spark new ideas about professionalism, reinforce the values of professionalism, deepen students' relationships with the faculty, and heighten students' commitment to behaving professionally. Narrative storytelling, as a variant of appreciative inquiry, seems to be effective in deepening students' understanding and appreciation of professionalism.

  18. Professional development in statistics, technology, and cognitively demanding tasks: classroom implementation and obstacles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foley, Gregory D.; Bakr Khoshaim, Heba; Alsaeed, Maha; Nihan Er, S.

    2012-03-01

    Attending professional development programmes can support teachers in applying new strategies for teaching mathematics and statistics. This study investigated (a) the extent to which the participants in a professional development programme subsequently used the techniques they had learned when teaching mathematics and statistics and (b) the obstacles they encountered in enacting cognitively demanding instructional tasks in their classrooms. The programme created an intellectual learning community among the participants and helped them gain confidence as teachers of statistics, and the students of participating teachers became actively engaged in deep mathematical thinking. The participants indicated, however, that time, availability of resources and students' prior achievement critically affected the implementation of cognitively demanding instructional activities.

  19. Teaching Tip: Developing an Intercollegiate Twitter Forum to Improve Student Exam Study and Digital Professionalism.

    PubMed

    Whiting, Martin; Kinnison, Tierney; Mossop, Liz

    #VetFinals has been developed as a novel online Twitter teaching event designed to support intercollegiate veterinary teaching using social media. Previous studies in other fields have suggested that Twitter use within universities may have benefits for undergraduate education. This "teaching tip" paper describes a project using Twitter to host online exam study sessions. The project has been a highly successful collaborative effort between the Royal Veterinary College and Nottingham Veterinary School in the UK. Over 4 years, the #VetFinals project has developed into a long-term, self-sustaining enterprise. This initiative provides a semi-structured means for student exam preparation with direct real-time input from a faculty member. It also creates a network of peers both horizontally across institutions and vertically throughout year groups. Based on similar initiatives in other disciplines, an anticipated outcome of this project was to contribute to student online professionalism. This could help address the veterinary community's recently highlighted problems with professional conduct and appropriate use of social media. Analysis of the success of this endeavor will be available in a future publication.

  20. Professional Parity Between Co-Teachers in Secondary Science and Math As Influenced By Administrative Support

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nordh, Camilla S.

    2011-12-01

    School improvement plans, budget constraints, and compliance mandates targeting academic progress for all students indicate a need for maximal professional efficacy at every level in the educational system, including parity between co-teachers in the co-teaching service delivery model. However, research shows that the special education co-teacher frequently assumes an assistive role while the general education co-teacher adopts a leading role in the classroom. When the participants in a co-teaching partnership fail to equitably share the professional responsibilities for which both teachers are qualified to perform, overall efficacy is compromised in that the special education teacher is not exercising his or her qualified expertise. Administrative support can be a primary influencing factor in increasing parity between the co-teachers. A qualitative study using a phenomenological design was conducted to explore the influences of co-teacher attitudes and administrative support on professional parity in co-taught secondary science and math classrooms. Content analysis was used to interpret data from interviews with five special education and 15 general education co-teachers at eight secondary schools in a suburban school district in a mid-Atlantic state. Five themes emerged from the data: content mastery by the special education co-teacher, joint planning time for co-teachers, continuity within co-teaching dyads, compatible personalities between co-teachers, and clear administrative expectations about co-teaching. Results indicate that administrative support to consider the content mastery of the special education co-teacher is the most influential factor to parity, followed by the co-teaching partners having joint planning time and that both can be implemented through scheduling and assignment considerations rather than training initiatives. The results provide an examination of each theme as it pertains to the issue of professional efficacy in co-teaching and offer an important foundation on which to develop further research addressing administrative support for co-teaching. Further research in areas such as accountability in the co-taught classroom, the marketing and delivery of professional development initiatives targeting co-teaching, general education teachers' pre-service training in special education services and strategies, as well as administrative factors influencing co-teaching assignments is needed as a part of continued efforts to maximize professional efficacy.

  1. An Investigation of How a Physics Professional Development Course Influenced the Teaching Practices of Five Elementary School Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harlow, Danielle B.

    2014-02-01

    This paper reports the results of an investigation of how a professional development content course based on the Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum affected the teaching practices of five case study elementary school teachers. The findings of this study highlight different ways that teachers use what they learn in content courses to teach science to elementary children. While some teachers transferred pedagogical practices along with the content, others transformed the content to be useful in already existing pedagogical frameworks, and still others show little or no evidence of transfer. The range of transfer is explained by considering how each teacher interacted with the learning context (the PET curriculum) and their initial ideas about teaching science.

  2. Student Perception of Teaching Effectiveness: Development and Validation of the Evaluation of Teaching Competencies Scale (ETCS)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Catano, Victor M.; Harvey, Steve

    2011-01-01

    A major criticism of student evaluations of teaching is that they do not reflect student perspectives. Using critical incidents job analysis, students identified nine teaching effectiveness competencies: communication, availability, creativity, individual consideration, social awareness, feedback, professionalism, conscientiousness and…

  3. Developing and Translating a New Model for Teaching Empowerment Into Routine Chronic Care Management

    PubMed Central

    Wallace, Carolyn A; Pontin, David; Dokova, Klara; Mikkonen, Irma; Savage, Eileen; Koskinen, Liisa

    2017-01-01

    Background: Health professional education has been criticized for not integrating patient expertise into professional curricula to develop professional skills in patient empowerment. Objective: To develop and translate a new expert patient-centered model for teaching empowerment into professional education about routine chronic care management. Methods: Eight Finnish patients (known as expert patients), 31 students, and 11 lecturers from 4 European countries participated in a new pilot intensive educational module. Thirteen focus groups, artefacts, and an online student evaluation were analyzed using a thematic analysis and triangulated using a meta-matrix. Results: A patient-centered pedagogical model is presented, which describes 3 phases of empowerment: (1) preliminary work, (2) the elements of empowerment, and (3) the expected outcomes. These 3 phases were bound by 2 cross-cutting themes “time” and “enabling resources.” Conclusion: Patient expertise was embedded into the new module curriculum. Using an example of care planning, and Pentland and Feldman’s theory of routine organization, the results are translated into a patient-centered educational model for teaching empowerment to health profession students. PMID:29582009

  4. Core Practices for Teaching History: The Results of a Delphi Panel Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fogo, Bradley

    2014-01-01

    Recent education literature and research has focused on identifying effective core teaching practices to inform and help shape teacher education and professional development. Although a rich literature on the teaching and learning of history has continued to develop over the past decade, core practice research has largely overlooked…

  5. Investing in Teaching Development: Navigating Risk in a Research Intensive Institution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jawitz, Jeff; Perez, Teresa

    2016-01-01

    It is often assumed that academics working in a research intensive university are unlikely to invest in the professional development of their teaching. Institutional structures and culture tend to undermine investment in academics' teaching role. This study, conducted at the University of Cape Town, draws on an analysis of the environment within…

  6. Designing Personalized Online Teaching Professional Development through Self-Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhode, Jason; Richter, Stephanie; Miller, Tracy

    2017-01-01

    Many institutions use a one-size-fits-all approach to faculty development for online teaching, which does not meet the needs of faculty who often have different levels of experience, skill, and self-efficacy in online teaching and learning. To address these issues, the [university name removed] [center name removed] designed and implemented an…

  7. The Effect of Using Some Professional Development Strategies on Improving the Teaching Performance of English Language Student Teacher at the Faculty of Education, Helwan University in the Light of Pre-Service Teacher Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halim, Safaa Mahmoud Abdel

    2008-01-01

    The main aim of this thesis was to determine the effect of using a training program based on three professional development strategies; namely: action learning, peer coaching and study groups, on improving teaching performance of Faculty of Education, Helwan University EFL student teachers in the light of standards for teachers of English at…

  8. Using the Affective Domain to Enhance Teaching of the ACGME Competencies in Anesthesiology Training.

    PubMed

    Yanofsky, Samuel D; Nyquist, Julie G

    2010-01-01

    Teaching and assessing the advanced competencies will continue to be a challenge. Incorporating new and nontraditional skills into an already complex and challenging clinical curriculum and practice is not easy. This makes development of methods for curricular design, teaching and assessment of anesthesiology resident and fellow performance essential. The Domains of learning, particularly the Affective Domain can serve as an organizing structure for developing objectives and selecting teaching and assessment techniques. Using the Affective Domain to select targeted teaching techniques might help foster development of key beliefs and values that underlie the advanced competencies (and sub-competencies). Targeted teaching, outside of the patient care arena, when combined with traditional clinical teaching practices, may help to ensure continued performance of desired behaviors. These include acting in a consultative role for other health professionals (ICS), providing culturally responsive care (Professionalism), using evidence to enhance the care of patients (PBLI), and advocating for quality of care and working to enhance patient safety (SBP). As educators, our aim is not only to impact knowledge, attitudes and skills, but to impact the daily behavior of our graduates.

  9. Using the Affective Domain to Enhance Teaching of the ACGME Competencies in Anesthesiology Training

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Teaching and assessing the advanced competencies will continue to be a challenge. Incorporating new and nontraditional skills into an already complex and challenging clinical curriculum and practice is not easy. This makes development of methods for curricular design, teaching and assessment of anesthesiology resident and fellow performance essential. The Domains of learning, particularly the Affective Domain can serve as an organizing structure for developing objectives and selecting teaching and assessment techniques. Using the Affective Domain to select targeted teaching techniques might help foster development of key beliefs and values that underlie the advanced competencies (and sub-competencies). Targeted teaching, outside of the patient care arena, when combined with traditional clinical teaching practices, may help to ensure continued performance of desired behaviors. These include acting in a consultative role for other health professionals (ICS), providing culturally responsive care (Professionalism), using evidence to enhance the care of patients (PBLI), and advocating for quality of care and working to enhance patient safety (SBP). As educators, our aim is not only to impact knowledge, attitudes and skills, but to impact the daily behavior of our graduates. PMID:27175387

  10. Developing Self-Efficacy: Exploring Preservice Coursework, Student Teaching, and Professional Development Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.

    2017-01-01

    To extend current understanding of school-based agriculture teacher development, this study explored the relationship between teacher development experiences and the self-efficacy of early career agriculture teachers. Three teacher development experiences were of interest: (a) preservice coursework, (b) student teaching, and (c) professional…

  11. Towards an Operational Definition of Effective Co-Teaching: Instrument Development, Validity, and Reliability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    La Monte, Michelle Evonne

    2012-01-01

    This study focused on developing a valid and reliable instrument that can not only identify successful co-teaching, but also the professional development needs of co-teachers and their administrators in public schools. Two general questions about the quality of co-teaching were addressed in this study: (a) How well did descriptors within each of…

  12. Development and Evaluation of a Questionnaire Measuring Pre-Service Teachers' Teaching Behaviour: A Rasch Modelling Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maulana, Ridwan; Helms-Lorenz, Michelle; van de Grift, Wim

    2015-01-01

    The present study examines the development of a measure tapping students' perceptions of (pre-service) teachers' teaching behaviour to explore the practical value of such a measure in teacher education and teacher professional development programs. From a sample of 1,635 students of 91 pre-service teachers teaching in secondary education in The…

  13. Achieving a Greater Impact: Developing the Skills of Teaching Artists to Lead Professional Development for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duma, Amy L.; Silverstein, Lynne B.

    2008-01-01

    Teaching artists know that there are many more students who could benefit from learning in and through the arts, but school budgets as well as teaching artists' time and energy are limited. As years pass, teaching artists face the reality that they will reach only a fraction of the students in need. To extend their impact dramatically, some…

  14. Professional development for teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing: facing the assessment challenge.

    PubMed

    Cawthon, Stephanie

    2009-01-01

    Teachers of students with low-incidence disabilities, such as students who are deaf or hard of hearing, face unique challenges in putting education policy into practice. The present article presents professional development findings from the Third Annual National Survey of Accommodations and Assessment for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Cawthon, Hersh, Kim, & Online Research Lab, in press). A total of 391 participants described professional development they had experienced related to assessment of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Teachers reported greater exposure to topics in school/district sessions and discussion with their colleagues than in their preparation programs. Teaching at a school for the deaf or teaching students in high school were significant predictors of an increased prevalence of professional development opportunities on assessment-related topics for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

  15. Perspectives on Science Teacher Professional Development: A study of the ASSET Experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reeves, Katrina; Miller, Scott; Foster, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    The Astronomy Summer School of East Texas (ASSET) is a two-year NASA-funded teacher professional development program created to help improve middle and high school science teachers' knowledge of and attitudes toward astronomy. During an intensive summer astronomy course experience, science teachers are taught astronomy concepts and principles through engaging pedagogical techniques. The workshop models hands-on/minds-on teaching strategies that strengthened teachers' own pedagogical content knowledge and ways of teaching astronomy to students.As part of our second year of ASSET, participants were observed and interviewed before, during and after the workshop experience to ascertain their perspectives on their own professional development and understanding of astronomy. Interview data, participant observations, surveys, and artifact data (journaling, one-minute papers, etc...) were analyzed and three broad themes emerged regarding the significance of the ASSET experience on teacher enhancement of content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and the significance of teacher professional development communities in teaching and learning science. We will discuss the major implications of our observations and outline what tools and techniques can be best implemented as part of professional development workshops such as ASSET.This project is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS), which is part of the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), Grant Number NNX12AH11G.

  16. Exploring Professional Development Practices for Vocational Education and Training Practitioners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Kim

    2009-01-01

    This paper addresses the practice of professional development within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) arena. The study object was to gain the perceptions held by a selected group of VET educators in the tourism and hospitality sector of the professional teaching/training competencies required for effective practice. The study was…

  17. Knowing and Teaching Middle School Mathematics: A Professional Development Course for In-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Celia Rousseau; Hoffmeister, April M.

    2007-01-01

    This article describes a professional development course intended to improve the content understanding of middle school mathematics teachers. The design of the course included three professional learning strategies: problem solving, examination of student thinking, and discussion of research. The concepts studied in the course included multi-digit…

  18. Identifying the Professional Development Needs of Adjunct Faculty Using an Online Delphi

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cuddie, Stephani B.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this online Delphi was to explore the professional development needs and preferences of adjunct faculty, specifically those who teach online. The study involved adjunct faculty who were categorized by their self-selected type of adjunct faculty member: specialist, aspiring academic, professional/freelancer, and career-ender. Through…

  19. Comparative and International Education: Policy Transfer, Context Sensitivity and Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crossley, Michael; Watson, Keith

    2009-01-01

    This paper examines the intellectual and professional contribution of comparative and international studies to the field of education. It explores the nature of the challenges that are currently being faced, and assesses its potential for the advancement of future teaching, research and professional development. Attention is paid to the place of…

  20. Challenges and Opportunities for Teacher Professional Development in Interactive Use of Technology in African Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hennessy, Sara; Haßler, Bjoern; Hofmann, Riikka

    2015-01-01

    This article examines the supporting and constraining factors influencing professional learning about interactive teaching and mobile digital technology use in low-resourced basic schools in sub-Saharan Africa. It draws on a case study of iterative development and refinement of a school-based, peer-facilitated professional learning programme…

  1. The Development and Perpetuation of Professional Learning Communities in Two Elementary Schools: The Role of the Principal and Impact on Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maynor, Chad Edward

    2010-01-01

    Professional learning communities (PLCs) provide schools with a tool to meet the professional development needs of their teachers through ongoing, job-embedded staff development designed to improve instruction and student learning. While research exists on the development of PLCs, there is a gap in the literature concerning the principal's role in…

  2. Virtual Teaching Dispositions in an Open Distance Learning Environment: Origins, Measurement and Impact

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martins, Nico; Ungerer, Leona M.

    2017-01-01

    An understanding of the key characteristics and implicit competencies underlying online teaching is essential to distance education institutions that embark on the assertive use of technology in their tuition development and delivery. The Virtual Teaching Dispositions Scale (VTDS) assists in investigating professional teaching dispositions…

  3. Tale of the Tape: International Teaching Assistant Noticing during Videotaped Classroom Observations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Gwendolyn M.; Case, Rod E.

    2015-01-01

    International teaching assistants face challenges in learning the norms for teaching in American universities. In order to address this learning curve this article describes a qualitative study of twenty international teaching assistants that examined how these participants viewed observations as part of their professional development. The study…

  4. 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…

  5. The use of virtual patient scenarios as a vehicle for teaching professionalism.

    PubMed

    Marei, H F; Al-Eraky, M M; Almasoud, N N; Donkers, J; Van Merrienboer, J J G

    2018-05-01

    This study aimed to measure students' perceptions of virtual patient scenarios (VPs) for developing ethical reasoning skills and to explore features in VP design that are necessary to promote professionalism. Sixty-five dental students participated in learning sessions that involved collaborative practice with five VPs (four high fidelity and one low fidelity), followed by reflection sessions. Students' perceptions towards the use of VPs in developing ethical reasoning skills were assessed using a questionnaire that involved 10 closed and three open-ended questions. High-fidelity VPs were perceived as significantly better for developing ethical reasoning skills than low-fidelity VPs. Analyses of answers to open-ended questions revealed two new features that are specific for VPs intended for teaching professionalism, which are VP dramatic structure and how it should end. VPs intended for teaching professionalism need to have high fidelity, follow a specific dramatic structure and should include multiple plausible endings. The use of VPs as part of a collaborative activity that is followed by a reflection session is perceived as an effective tool for the development of ethical reasoning skills in dental education. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Digital Technology and Its Influence on the Professionalization of Teaching Associates in a University English Department

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hepler, John Carl

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence digital technology had on the professional development of Teaching Associates participating in a mentoring program in an English Department at a public four-year university. A qualitative study was conducted involving ten students in the department's two doctoral programs over the course…

  7. Effectiveness of National Board Certified (NBC) Teachers in Terms of Classroom Environment, Attitudes and Achievement among Secondary Science Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helding, Karen A.; Fraser, Barry J.

    2013-01-01

    No previous research has employed learning environments criteria in evaluating the effectiveness of the system of teacher certification sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Because the litmus test of any professional development effort is the extent of the changes in teaching behaviours in participating teachers'…

  8. Does Teacher Professional Development Improve Math and Science Outcomes and Is It Cost Effective?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, John M.; Toma, Eugenia F.; Troske, SuZanne P.

    2013-01-01

    Scholars and policymakers see improving teacher quality as a key way to improve student learning. While quality may be improved in a variety of ways for pre-service teachers, professional development is one of the few avenues by which quality can be improved for those teachers already in the teaching profession. But professional development, like…

  9. English Language Teachers' Professional Development and Identities (Identidad y desarrollo profesional de docentes de inglés)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mora, Alberto; Trejo, Paulina; Roux, Ruth

    2014-01-01

    This article analyzes the professional development of two English language teachers in a Mexican language center. In particular, it explores the interplay between professional development, identity and agency, and the part played by English language teaching certificates in all of these. Drawing on a case study methodology, which included the use…

  10. Professional Development of Science Teachers: History of Reform and Contributions of the STS-Based Iowa Chautauqua Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dass, Pradeep M.; Yager, Robert E.

    2009-01-01

    During the last quarter of a century, it became abundantly clear that the desired reforms in science teaching and learning could not be accomplished without significant professional development of in-service science teachers. Yet, there was a dearth of effective professional development models that could lead to the kind of instructional reforms…

  11. Journal entries facilitating preprofessional scientific literacy and mutualistic symbiotic relationships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vander Vliet, Valerie J.

    This study explored journal writing as an alternative assessment to promote the development of pre-professional scientific literacy and mutualistic symbiotic relationships between teaching and learning, instruction and assessment, and students and teachers. The larger context of this study is an action reaction project of the attempted transformation of a traditional first year undergraduate pre-professional biology class to sociocultural constructivist principles. The participants were commuter and residential, full and part-time students ranging in age from 18 to 27 and 18/21 were female. The backgrounds of the students varied considerably, ranging from low to upper middle income, including students of Black and Asian heritage. The setting was a medium-sized Midwestern university. The instructor has twenty years of experience teaching Biology at the college level. The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method and the development of grounded theory. The journal entries were analyzed as to their function and form in relationship to the development of multiple aspects of pre-professional scientific literacy. The perceptions of the students as to the significance of the use of journal entries were also determined through the analysis of their use of journal entries in their portfolios and statements in surveys and portfolios. The analysis revealed that journal entries promoted multiple aspects of pre-professional scientific literacy in both students and the instructor and facilitated the development of mutualistic symbiotic relationships between teaching and learning, instruction and assessment, and students and teachers. The function analysis revealed that the journal entries fulfilled the functions intended for the development of multiple aspects of pre-professional scientific literacy. The complexity of journal writing emerged from the form analysis, which revealed the multiple form elements inherent in journal entries. Students perceived journal entries to act as cognitive, affective, and social catalysts of pre-professional scientific literacy. This study has shown that journal entries facilitate the development of multiple aspects of scientific literacy and mutualistic symbiotic relationships between teaching and learning, instruction and assessment, and students and teachers.

  12. Our Year of Dissonance: Teacher Identity and the Transition to Teaching Pre-K

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delaney, Katherine K.

    2014-01-01

    This dissertation is a single case study of a teacher, Wanda, transitioning from teaching Kindergarten to teaching pre-K. A veteran public school Kindergarten teacher with more than ten years experience, Wanda saw teaching pre-K as an opportunity for professional growth and development. Wanda's transition to teaching pre-K was also a transition…

  13. Science Teacher Efficacy and Extrinsic Factors Toward Professional Development Using Video Games in a Design-Based Research Model: The Next Generation of STEM Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Annetta, Leonard A.; Frazier, Wendy M.; Folta, Elizabeth; Holmes, Shawn; Lamb, Richard; Cheng, Meng-Tzu

    2013-02-01

    Designed-based research principles guided the study of 51 secondary-science teachers in the second year of a 3-year professional development project. The project entailed the creation of student-centered, inquiry-based, science, video games. A professional development model appropriate for infusing innovative technologies into standards-based curricula was employed to determine how science teacher's attitudes and efficacy where impacted while designing science-based video games. The study's mixed-method design ascertained teacher efficacy on five factors (General computer use, Science Learning, Inquiry Teaching and Learning, Synchronous chat/text, and Playing Video Games) related to technology and gaming using a web-based survey). Qualitative data in the form of online blog posts was gathered during the project to assist in the triangulation and assessment of teacher efficacy. Data analyses consisted of an Analysis of Variance and serial coding of teacher reflective responses. Results indicated participants who used computers daily have higher efficacy while using inquiry-based teaching methods and science teaching and learning. Additional emergent findings revealed possible motivating factors for efficacy. This professional development project was focused on inquiry as a pedagogical strategy, standard-based science learning as means to develop content knowledge, and creating video games as technological knowledge. The project was consistent with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework where overlapping circles of the three components indicates development of an integrated understanding of the suggested relationships. Findings provide suggestions for development of standards-based science education software, its integration into the curriculum and, strategies for implementing technology into teaching practices.

  14. Educating doctors in the clinical workplace: unraveling the process of teaching and learning in the medical resident as teacher.

    PubMed

    Busari, J O; Arnold, Aer

    2009-01-01

    In recent years, higher medical education has witnessed major changes in the structure and content of postgraduate medical training. Seven professional competencies have been described that address the medical doctors' ability to effectively communicate and transfer medical information, interact effectively and professionally, and demonstrate a good grasp of clinical knowledge and skills. Proficiency in didactic skills, however, is an important competency that has not received prominent attention. In the clinical setting, attending-physicians and medical residents are responsible for teaching. Consequently, several medical institutions have proposed the need for teacher training programs to improve the teaching skills of attending doctors and medical residents. The supporters of these programs believe that through teaching, medical doctors improve their individual professional and clinical problem-solving abilities. Hence, it is logical to assume that didactic skills' training would contribute to the professional development of doctors. In this paper, we re-examine the underlying theory of the didactic proficiency, how it relates to the clinical setting, and why it may be beneficial for the professional training of medical residents.

  15. Developing a workable teacher identity: Building and negotiating identity within a professional network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rostock, Roseanne

    The challenge of attracting and retaining the next generation of teachers who are skilled and committed to meeting the growing demands of the profession is of increasing concern to researchers and policy makers, particularly since 45--50% of beginning teachers leave the profession within five years (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003). Reasons for such attrition include compensation, status and working conditions; however, there is growing evidence that a critical factor in new teacher retention hinges on teachers' ability to accomplish the difficult task of forming a workable professional identity in the midst of competing discourses about teaching (Alsup, 2006; Britzman, 2003). There is little research on professional identity development among those beginning teachers at highest risk for attrition (secondary math and science teachers, and those with strong academic backgrounds). This study explores the professional identity development of early-career math and science teachers who are part of the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation's (KSTF) teaching fellowship program, an external support network that aims to address many of the issues leading to high attrition among this particular population of teachers. Using narrative research methods, I examine three case studies of beginning teachers, exploring how they construct professional identity in relation to various discourse communities and negotiate tensions across multiple discourses. The cases identify both dominant discourses and counter-discourses that the teachers draw upon for important identity development resources. They also demonstrate that the way a teacher manages tensions across competing discourses is important to how well one can negotiate a workable professional identity. In particular, they emphasize the importance of engaging in borderland discourses (Gee, 1996) as a way of taking agency in one's own identity development as well as in transforming one's discourse communities. These cases shed light on how these beginning teachers work to negotiate a workable professional identity that may sustain them in a teaching career. In addition, they help us understand how a support network like KSTF can serve as a resource for helping new teachers construct professional identities, therefore addressing some of the issues that may lead to attrition among this population of new teachers.

  16. 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.

  17. Examining the teaching roles and experiences of non-physician health care providers in family medicine education: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Beber, Serena; Antao, Viola; Telner, Deanna; Krueger, Paul; Peranson, Judith; Meaney, Christopher; Meindl, Maria; Webster, Fiona

    2015-02-13

    Primary Care reform in Canada and globally has encouraged the development of interprofessional primary care initiatives. This has led to significant involvement of non-physician Health Care Providers (NPHCPs) in the teaching of medical trainees. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences, supports and challenges facing non-physician health care providers in Family Medicine education. Four focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide with twenty one NPHCPs involved in teaching at the University of Toronto, Department of Family & Community Medicine. The focus groups were transcribed and analyzed for recurrent themes. The multi-disciplinary research team held several meetings to discuss themes. NPHCPs were highly involved in Family Medicine education, formally and informally. NPHCPs felt valued as teachers, but this often did not occur until after learners understood their educator role through increased time and exposure. NPHCPs expressed a lack of advance information of learner knowledge level and expectations, and missed opportunities to give feedback or receive teaching evaluations. Adequate preparation time, teaching space and financial compensation were important to NPHCPs, yet were often lacking. There was low awareness but high interest in faculty status and professional development opportunities. Sharing learner goals and objectives and offering NPHCPs feedback and evaluation would help to formalize NPHCP roles and optimize their capacity for cross-professional teaching. Preparation time and dedicated space for teaching are also necessary. NPHCPs should be encouraged to pursue faculty appointments and to access ongoing Professional Development opportunities.

  18. Enabling professional development in mental health nursing: the role of clinical leadership.

    PubMed

    Ennis, G; Happell, B; Reid-Searl, K

    2015-10-01

    Clinical leadership is acknowledged as important to the nursing profession. While studies continue to identify its significance in contributing to positive outcomes for consumers, the role that clinical leadership has in enabling and supporting professional development in mental health nursing is poorly understood. This study utilized a grounded theory methodology to explore the characteristics clinicians consider important for clinical leadership and its significance for mental health nursing in day-to-day clinical practice. Individual face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses working in mental health settings. Participants described the important role that clinical leaders play in enabling professional development of others through role modelling and clinical teaching. They describe how nurses, whom they perceive as clinical leaders, use role modelling and clinical teaching to influence the professional development of nursing staff and undergraduate nursing students. Attributes such as professionalism and honesty were seen, by participants, as enablers for clinical leaders in effectively and positively supporting the professional development of junior staff and undergraduate nurses in mental health nursing. This paper examines clinical leadership from the perspective of mental health nurses delivering care, and highlights the important role of clinical leaders in supporting professional development in mental health nursing. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Professional development needs of nurse educators. An Australian case study.

    PubMed

    Oprescu, Florin; McAllister, Margaret; Duncan, David; Jones, Christian

    2017-11-01

    Because there is a global shortage of nurse educators, highly productive and committed nurse educators are needed to supply a rapidly expanding and changing health landscape. To support the aforementioned effort professional development needs of nurse educators must be systematically identified. This study explores practical issues around professional development needs of nurse educators. One hundred and thirty eight Australian nurse educators based in Queensland answered an online survey around professional development needs. Results indicate that 83% (n = 115) of the respondents were enthusiastic about nurse education yet only 45% (n = 62) were confident in their skills and less than 10% (n = 13) saw themselves as expert nurse educators. The most desired areas of future development in teaching were information technology skills, assessment and technical knowledge. There seems to be a shared need for developing global online and offline support resources and communities of practice to support nurse educators in their teaching and research endeavours. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Examination of the teaching styles of nursing professional development specialists, part I: best practices in adult learning theory, curriculum development, and knowledge transfer.

    PubMed

    Curran, Mary K

    2014-05-01

    The American Nurses Association advocates for nursing professional development (NPD) specialists to have an earned graduate degree, as well as educational and clinical expertise. However, many NPD specialists have limited exposure to adult learning theory. Limited exposure to adult learning theory may affect NPD educational practices, learning outcomes, organizational knowledge transfer, and subsequently, the professional development of the nurses they serve and quality of nursing care. An examination of current teaching practices may reveal opportunities for NPD specialists to enhance educational methods to promote learning, learning transfer, and organizational knowledge and excellence. This article, the first in a two-part series, examines best practices of adult learning theories, nursing professional development, curriculum design, and knowledge transfer. Part II details the results of a correlational study that examined the effects of four variables on the use of adult learning theory to guide curriculum development for NPD specialists in hospitals. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  1. Professional Learning as a Predictor for Instructional Quality: A Secondary Analysis of TALIS

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dogan, Selçuk; Yurtseven, Nihal

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of teachers' professional learning opportunities on instructional quality, which represents a combined approach of behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist principles in teaching. We incorporated professional learning communities (PLCs), professional development (PD) days, as well as 3 PD…

  2. Early Career Teacher Professional Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCormack, Ann; Gore, Jennifer; Thomas, Kaye

    2006-01-01

    Becoming a teacher requires not only the development of a professional identity but the construction of professional knowledge and practice through continued professional learning. This study tracked a sample group of 16 early career teachers through their first year of teaching. The participants were encouraged to write about their experiences in…

  3. Statistics Graduate Students' Professional Development for Teaching: A Communities of Practice Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Justice, Nicola

    Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are responsible for instructing approximately 25% of introductory statistics courses in the United States (Blair, Kirkman, & Maxwell, 2013). Most research on GTA professional development focuses on structured activities (e.g., courses, workshops) that have been developed to improve GTAs' pedagogy and content knowledge. Few studies take into account the social contexts of GTAs' professional development. However, GTAs perceive their social interactions with other GTAs to be a vital part of their preparation and support for teaching (e.g., Staton & Darling, 1989). Communities of practice (CoPs) are one way to bring together the study of the social contexts and structured activities of GTA professional development. CoPs are defined as groups of practitioners who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting with each other on an ongoing basis (e.g., Lave & Wenger, 1991). Graduate students may participate in CoPs related to teaching in many ways, including attending courses or workshops, participating in weekly meetings, engaging in informal discussions about teaching, or participating in e-mail conversations related to teaching tasks. This study explored the relationship between statistics graduate students' experiences in CoPs and the extent to which they hold student-centered teaching beliefs. A framework for characterizing GTAs' experiences in CoPs was described and a theoretical model relating these characteristics to GTAs' beliefs was developed. To gather data to test the model, the Graduate Students' Experiences Teaching Statistics (GETS) Inventory was created. Items were written to collect information about GTAs' current teaching beliefs, teaching beliefs before entering their degree programs, characteristics of GTAs' experiences in CoPs, and demographic information. Using an online program, the GETS Inventory was administered to N =218 statistics graduate students representing 37 institutions in 24 different U.S. states. The data gathered from the national survey suggest that statistics graduate students often experience CoPs through required meetings and voluntary discussions about teaching. Participants feel comfortable disagreeing with the people they perceive to be most influential on their teaching beliefs. Most participants perceive a faculty member to have the most influential role in shaping their teaching beliefs. The survey data did not provide evidence to support the proposed theoretical model relating characteristics of experiences in CoPs and beliefs about teaching statistics. Based on cross-validation results, prior beliefs about teaching statistics was the best predictor of current beliefs. Additional models were retained that included student characteristics suggested by previous literature to be associated with student-centered or traditional teaching beliefs (e.g., prior teaching experience, international student status). The results of this study can be used to inform future efforts to help promote student-centered teaching beliefs and teaching practices among statistics GTAs. Modifications to the GETS Inventory are suggested for use in future research designed to gather information about GTAs, their teaching beliefs, and their experiences in CoPs. Suggestions are also made for aspects of CoPs that might be studied further in order to learn how CoPs can promote teaching beliefs and practices that support student learning.

  4. Working with Teachers to Develop Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching. MET Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2010

    2010-01-01

    In fall 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project to develop and test multiple measures of teacher effectiveness. The goal of the MET project is to improve the quality of information about teaching effectiveness available to education professionals within states and districts--information…

  5. A School-Based Professional Development Programme for Teachers of Mathematical Modelling in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tan, Liang Soon; Ang, Keng Cheng

    2016-01-01

    A school-based professional development programme (SBPD) aimed at developing secondary school mathematics teachers' competencies to teach mathematical modelling in Singapore is presented and evaluated in this article. The SBPD is characterized by two key features--content elements to develop teachers' knowledge and skills, and transformative…

  6. Concerns and professional development needs of science faculty at Taibah University in adopting blended learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Sarrani, Nauaf

    The purpose of this study was to obtain Science faculty concerns and professional development needs to adopt blended learning in their teaching at Taibah University. To answer these two research questions the survey instrument was designed to collect quantitative and qualitative data from close-ended and open-ended questions. The participants' general characteristics were first presented, then the quantitative measures were presented as the results of the null hypotheses. The data analysis for research question one revealed a statistically significant difference in the participants' concerns in adopting BL by their gender sig = .0015. The significances were found in stages one (sig = .000) and stage five (sig = .006) for female faculty. Therefore, null hypothesis 1.1 was rejected (There are no statistically significant differences between science faculty's gender and their concerns in adopting BL). The data analysis indicated also that there were no relationships between science faculty's age, academic rank, nationality, country of graduation and years of teaching experience and their concerns in adopting BL in their teaching, so the null hypotheses 1.2-7 were accepted (There are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty's age and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty's academic rank and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty's nationality and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty's content area and their concerns in adopting BL, there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty's country of graduation and their concerns in adopting BL and there are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty's years of teaching experience and their concerns in adopting BL). The data analyses for research question two revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between science faculty's use of technology in teaching by department and their attitudes towards technology integration in the Science curriculum. Lambda MANOVA test result was sig =.019 at the alpha = .05 level. Follow up ANOVA result indicated that Chemistry department was significant in the use of computer-based technology (sig =.049) and instructional technology use (sig =.041). Therefore, null hypothesis 2.1 was rejected (There are no statistically significant differences between science faculty's attitudes towards technology integration in the Science curriculum and faculty's use of technology in teaching by department). The data also revealed that there was no statistically significant difference (p<.05) between science faculty's use of technology in teaching by department and their instructional technology use on pedagogy. Therefore, null hypothesis 2.2 was accepted (There are no statistically significant differences between science faculty's perceptions of the effects of faculty IT use on pedagogy and faculty's use of technology in teaching by department). The data also revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between science faculty's use of technology in teaching by department and their professional development needs in adopting BL. Lambda MANOVA test result was .007 at the alpha = .05 level. The follow up ANOVA results showed that the value of significance of Science faculty's professional development needs for adopting BL was smaller than .05 in the Chemistry department with sig =.001 in instructional technology use. Therefore, null hypothesis 2.3 was rejected (There are no statistically significant differences between Science faculty's perceptions of technology professional development needs and faculty's use of technology in teaching by department). Qualitative measures included analyzing data based on answers to three open-ended questions, numbers thirty-six, seventy-four, and seventy-five. These three questions were on blended learning concerns comments (question 36, which had 10 units), professional development activities, support, or incentive requested (question 74, which had 28 units), and the most important professional development activities, support, or incentive (question 75, which had 37 units). These questions yielded 75 units, 23 categories and 8 themes that triangulated with the quantitative data. These 8 themes were then combined to obtain overall themes for all qualitative questions in the study. The two most important themes were "Professional development" with three categories; Professional development through workshops (10 units), Workshops (10 units), Professional development (5 units) and the second overall theme was "Technical support" with two categories: Internet connectivity (4 units), and Technical support (4 units). Finally, based on quantitative and qualitative data, the summary, conclusions, and recommendations for Taibah University regarding faculty adoption of BL in teaching were presented. The recommendations for future studies focused on Science faculty Level of Use and technology use in Saudi universities.

  7. Reform-based science teaching: A mixed-methods approach to explaining variation in secondary science teacher practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jetty, Lauren E.

    The purpose of this two-phase, sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to understand and explain the variation seen in secondary science teachers' enactment of reform-based instructional practices. Utilizing teacher socialization theory, this mixed-methods analysis was conducted to determine the relative influence of secondary science teachers' characteristics, backgrounds and experiences across their teacher development to explain the range of teaching practices exhibited by graduates from three reform-oriented teacher preparation programs. Data for this study were obtained from the Investigating the Meaningfulness of Preservice Programs Across the Continuum of Teaching (IMPPACT) Project, a multi-university, longitudinal study funded by NSF. In the first quantitative phase of the study, data for the sample (N=120) were collected from three surveys from the IMPPACT Project database. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine the separate as well as the combined influence of factors such as teachers' personal and professional background characteristics, beliefs about reform-based science teaching, feelings of preparedness to teach science, school context, school culture and climate of professional learning, and influences of the policy environment on the teachers' use of reform-based instructional practices. Findings indicate three blocks of variables, professional background, beliefs/efficacy, and local school context added significant contribution to explaining nearly 38% of the variation in secondary science teachers' use of reform-based instructional practices. The five variables that significantly contributed to explaining variation in teachers' use of reform-based instructional practices in the full model were, university of teacher preparation, sense of preparation for teaching science, the quality of professional development, science content focused professional, and the perceived level of professional autonomy. Using the results from phase one, the second qualitative phase selected six case study teachers based on their levels of reform-based teaching practices to highlight teachers across the range of practices from low, average, to high levels of implementation. Using multiple interview sources, phase two helped to further explain the variation in levels of reform-based practices. Themes related to teachers' backgrounds, local contexts, and state policy environments were developed as they related to teachers' socialization experiences across these contexts. The results of the qualitative analysis identified the following factors differentiating teachers who enacted reform-based instructional practices from those who did not: 1) extensive science research experiences prior to their preservice teacher preparation; 2) the structure and quality of their field placements; 3) developing and valuing a research-based understanding of teaching and learning as a result of their preservice teacher preparation experiences; 4) the professional culture of their school context where there was support for a high degree of professional autonomy and receiving support from "educational companions" with a specific focus on teacher pedagogy to support student learning; and 5) a greater sense of agency to navigate their districts' interpretation and implementation of state polices. Implications for key stakeholders as well as directions for future research are discussed.

  8. Examining the Impact of Academic Development in the Engineering Faculties in Chile: Changes in Teaching Philosophy and Teachers' Competencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Acosta Peña, Roxana; Tomás-Folch, Marina; Feixas, Mònica

    2017-01-01

    The Faculties of Engineering Sciences at Universidad Católica del Norte in Chile regard teacher training as a necessary tool for its academics' professional development and as a fundamental way to improve their teaching quality. The Teaching Unit for Innovation in Engineering (UIDIN) has developed a new curriculum and training programme which…

  9. Construction, implementation, and evaluation of an undergraduate biology laboratory teaching model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarrant, Todd M.

    This dissertation documents a time series study in which an undergraduate non-majors biology laboratory was revised, leading to the development of a new teaching model. The course model was developed at a large Midwestern university enrolling about 827 students in 32 sections per semester and using graduate teaching assistants as primary instructors. The majority of the students consisted of freshman and sophomores, with the remainder being juniors and seniors. This dissertation explains the rationale leading to the development and implementation of this educational model using graduate teaching assistants as the primary course instructors and embedded course assessment as evidence of its success. The major components of this model include six major items including: learning community, course design, GTA professional development, course delivery, assessment, and the filter. The major aspects of this model include clear links between instruction, GTA professional development, embedded assessment (student and GTA), course revision, student perceptions, and performance. The model includes the following components: Formal and informal discourse in the learning community, teaching assistant professional development, the use of multiple assessment tools, a filter to guide course evaluation, and redirection and delivery of course content based on embedded formal course assessment. Teaching assistants receive both initial and ongoing professional development throughout the semester in effective instructional pedagogy from an instructor of record. Results for three years of operation show a significant increase in student biology content knowledge and the use of scientific process/critical thinking skills with mean improvement in student performance of 25.5% and 18.9% respectively. Mean attendance for ISB 208L is 95% for the six semesters of this study showing students regularly attend the laboratory classes and remain in the course with a completion rate of 93%. Additionally, grade point averages have remained high (mean of 3.3 for ISB 208L) while question cognitive level used on course assignments and tests has increased each semester while assignment weight has remained constant. Students indicate through SIRS data that the course is relevant to their lives, emphasizes understanding of ideas, concepts, and encourages students to think about the relationship between science and society. This study is significant in that it provides a description of a field tested working model for all aspects of a course that has large student enrollment, uses graduate teaching assistants as primary instructors, embedded course assessment, ongoing professional development, and general applicability in being transferable to other courses.

  10. Understanding the Development of a Hybrid Practice of Inquiry-Based Science Instruction and Language Development: A Case Study of One Teacher's Journey Through Reflections on Classroom Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capitelli, Sarah; Hooper, Paula; Rankin, Lynn; Austin, Marilyn; Caven, Gennifer

    2016-04-01

    This qualitative case study looks closely at an elementary teacher who participated in professional development experiences that helped her develop a hybrid practice of using inquiry-based science to teach both science content and English language development (ELD) to her students, many of whom are English language learners (ELLs). This case study examines the teacher's reflections on her teaching and her students' learning as she engaged her students in science learning and supported their developing language skills. It explicates the professional learning experiences that supported the development of this hybrid practice. Closely examining the pedagogical practice and reflections of a teacher who is developing an inquiry-based approach to both science learning and language development can provide insights into how teachers come to integrate their professional development experiences with their classroom expertise in order to create a hybrid inquiry-based science ELD practice. This qualitative case study contributes to the emerging scholarship on the development of teacher practice of inquiry-based science instruction as a vehicle for both science instruction and ELD for ELLs. This study demonstrates how an effective teaching practice that supports both the science and language learning of students can develop from ongoing professional learning experiences that are grounded in current perspectives about language development and that immerse teachers in an inquiry-based approach to learning and instruction. Additionally, this case study also underscores the important role that professional learning opportunities can play in supporting teachers in developing a deeper understanding of the affordances that inquiry-based science can provide for language development.

  11. Chemistry Teachers' Emerging Expertise in Inquiry Teaching: The Effect of a Professional Development Model on Beliefs and Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rushton, Gregory T.; Lotter, Christine; Singer, Jonathan

    2011-02-01

    This study investigates the beliefs and practices of seven high school chemistry teachers as a result of their participation in a year-long inquiry professional development (PD) project. An analysis of oral interviews, written reflections, and in-class observations were used to determine the extent to which the PD affected the teachers' beliefs and practice. The data indicated that the teachers developed more complete conceptions of classroom inquiry, valued a "phenomena first" approach to scientific investigations, and viewed inquiry approaches as helpful for facilitating improved student thinking. Analysis of classroom observations with the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol indicated that features of the PD were observed in the teachers' practice during the academic year follow-up. Implications for effective science teacher professional development models are discussed.

  12. Using Action Research to Engage K-6 Teachers in Nature of Science Inquiry as Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cullen, Theresa A.; Akerson, Valarie L.; Hanson, Deborah L.

    2010-12-01

    Teachers are required to work with data on a daily basis to assess the effectiveness of their teaching strategies, but may not approach it as research. This paper presents a reflective discussion of how and when a professional development team used an action research project to help 12 K-6 teachers explore the effectiveness of reform based Nature of Science (NOS) teaching strategies in their classrooms. The team encouraged community development and provided “just in time” supports to scaffold the steps of the action research process for teachers. The discussion includes concerns they addressed and issues related to management and support of the professional development model. Evaluation results are shared to suggest how this approach can be improved in the future.

  13. Teaching Certificate Program Participants' Perceptions of Mentor-Mentee Relationships.

    PubMed

    Sheehan, Amy Heck; Gonzalvo, Jasmine D; Ramsey, Darin C; Sprunger, Tracy L

    2016-04-25

    Objective. To assess teaching certificate program (TCP) participants' perceptions of mentor-mentee relationships. Methods. A 15-item survey instrument was administered to all 2014-2015 participants of the Indiana Pharmacy Teaching Certificate (IPTeC) program. Results. One hundred percent of IPTeC program participants (83/83) responded to the survey. The majority of participants indicated that having a professional mentor was either very important (52%) or important (47%) to their professional development and preferred to choose their own professional mentor (53%). Mentor characteristics rated as highly important by mentees included having similar clinical practice interests (82%), having similar research interests (66%), and being available to meet face-to-face (90%). Age, race, and gender of the mentor were not rated by mentees as important. Conclusion. Teaching certificate program participants place high importance on having a professional mentor. Mentorship of pharmacists completing TCPs should be a priority for current pharmacy faculty members so adequate guidance is available to future pharmacy educators.

  14. Challenging Teachers' Practice through Learning: Reflections on the Enhancing Effective Practice in Special Education Programme of Research and Professional Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bourke, Roseanna

    2006-01-01

    When teachers participate in professional development and learning opportunities it enables them to reconceptualise their assessment and teaching practices with the support of facilitators and researchers. National programmes of professional development and research, such as the three year Enhancing Effective Practice in Special Education (EEPiSE)…

  15. A Preliminary Investigation of Self-Directed Learning Activities in a Non-Formal Blended Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwier, Richard A.; Morrison, Dirk; Daniel, Ben K.

    2009-01-01

    This research considers how professional participants in a non-formal self-directed learning environment (NFSDL) made use of self-directed learning activities in a blended face-to-face and on line learning professional development course. The learning environment for the study was a professional development seminar on teaching in higher education…

  16. Using Mentoring and Professional Development Approaches to Educate Urban Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraser-Abder, Pamela

    2005-01-01

    Due to the dearth of qualified professional teachers, policymakers and professional development programs need to focus on improving the quality of high school mathematics teaching in order to diffuse this crisis. In the middle of this crisis, the demand for new teachers is predicted to rise significantly in the next ten years. Based on the…

  17. Early Childhood Teachers at the Center: A Qualitative Case Study of Professional Development in an Urban District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Megina

    2018-01-01

    Professional development for early childhood educators (ECE PD) is an essential component of supporting a professional early childhood workforce. Yet research on ECE PD frequently centers on narrow fidelity data, while teachers' individual voices and teaching contexts are only rarely considered in order to understand teacher experiences with PD…

  18. Colorectal surgeons teaching general surgery residents: current challenges and opportunities.

    PubMed

    Schmitz, Connie C; Chow, Christopher J; Rothenberger, David A

    2012-09-01

    Effective teaching for general surgery residents requires that faculty members with colorectal expertise actively engage in the education process and fully understand the current context for residency training. In this article, we review important national developments with respect to graduate medical education that impact resident supervision, curriculum implementation, resident assessment, and program evaluation. We argue that establishing a culture of respect and professionalism in today's teaching environment is one of the most important legacies that surgical educators can leave for the coming generation. Faculty role modeling and the process of socializing residents is highlighted. We review the American College of Surgeons' Code of Professional Conduct, summarize some of the current strategies for teaching and assessing professionalism, and reflect on principles of motivation that apply to resident training both for the trainee and the trainer.

  19. Colorectal Surgeons Teaching General Surgery Residents: Current Challenges and Opportunities

    PubMed Central

    Schmitz, Connie C.; Chow, Christopher J.; Rothenberger, David A.

    2012-01-01

    Effective teaching for general surgery residents requires that faculty members with colorectal expertise actively engage in the education process and fully understand the current context for residency training. In this article, we review important national developments with respect to graduate medical education that impact resident supervision, curriculum implementation, resident assessment, and program evaluation. We argue that establishing a culture of respect and professionalism in today's teaching environment is one of the most important legacies that surgical educators can leave for the coming generation. Faculty role modeling and the process of socializing residents is highlighted. We review the American College of Surgeons' Code of Professional Conduct, summarize some of the current strategies for teaching and assessing professionalism, and reflect on principles of motivation that apply to resident training both for the trainee and the trainer. PMID:23997668

  20. Professional development strategies for teaching urban biology teachers to use concept maps effectively

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McGregor Petgrave, Dahlia M.

    Many teachers are not adequately prepared to help urban students who have trouble understanding conceptual ideas in biology because these students have little connection to the natural world. This study explored potential professional development strategies to help urban biology teachers use concept maps effectively with various topics in the biology curriculum. A grounded theory approach was used to develop a substantive professional development model for urban biology teachers. Qualitative data were collected through 16 semi-structured interviews of professional developers experienced in working with concept maps in the urban context. An anonymous online survey was used to collect quantitative data from 56 professional developers and teachers to support the qualitative data. The participants were from New York City, recruited through the NY Biology-Chemistry Professional Development Mentor Network and the NY Biology Teachers' Association. According to the participants, map construction, classroom applications, lesson planning, action research, follow-up workshops, and the creation of learning communities are the most effective professional development strategies. The interviewees also proposed English language learning strategies such as picture maps, native word maps, and content reading materials with underlined words. This study contributes to social change by providing a professional development model to use in planning workshops for urban teachers. Urban teachers improve their own conceptual understanding of biology while learning how to implement concept mapping strategies in the classroom. Students whose teachers are better prepared to teach biology in a conceptual manner have the potential of growing into more scientifically literate citizens.

  1. Science Thought and Practices: A Professional Development Workshop on Teaching Scientific Reasoning, Mathematical Modeling and Data Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robbins, Dennis; Ford, K. E. Saavik

    2018-01-01

    The NSF-supported “AstroCom NYC” program, a collaboration of the City University of New York and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), has developed and offers hands-on workshops to undergraduate faculty on teaching science thought and practices. These professional development workshops emphasize a curriculum and pedagogical strategies that uses computers and other digital devices in a laboratory environment to teach students fundamental topics, including: proportional reasoning, control of variables thinking, experimental design, hypothesis testing, reasoning with data, and drawing conclusions from graphical displays. Topics addressed here are rarely taught in-depth during the formal undergraduate years and are frequently learned only after several apprenticeship research experiences. The goal of these workshops is to provide working and future faculty with an interactive experience in science learning and teaching using modern technological tools.

  2. Education Matters, February 2009

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beckner, Gary, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    "Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Arrested Development: Time for Professional Development…

  3. Your Place or Mine? Navigating a Technology Collaborative.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wepner, Shelley B.

    1998-01-01

    Describes the Teaching and Learning Collaborative (TLC) in Technology, which prepared preservice teachers to incorporate technology into lesson plans and supported inservice teachers' professional development with technology, offering a professional-development course, seminar sessions, and e-mail communication. Evaluation indicated that…

  4. 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…

  5. Animated Agents Teaching Helping Skills in an Online Environment: A Pilot Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duggan, Molly H.; Adcock, Amy B.

    2007-01-01

    Human service educators constantly struggle with how to best teach students the communication skills required of entry-level human service professionals. While teaching such skills is easier in a traditional face-to-face environment, teaching communication skills via distance learning presents its own challenges. Developing interactive web-based…

  6. Influencing Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Primary School Teachers: A Longitudinal Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKinnon, Merryn; Lamberts, Rod

    2014-01-01

    The science teaching self-efficacy beliefs of primary school teachers influence teaching practice. The purpose of this research was to determine if informal education institutions, such as science centres, could provide professional development that influences the science teaching self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service and in-service primary school…

  7. Professional and Social Media Sites (SMSs): Motives and Positive Values of Accommodating Social Media Sites (SMSs) in Teaching Practices according to Indonesian Professional Educators: A Case Study in Two Indonesian Higher Educational Institutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luke, J. Y.; Billy, Y. L.

    2017-09-01

    In millennium era, the proliferating Social Media Sites (SMSs) has not only brought increasing demands for all humans, but also creates positive values, specifically for the professional educators or lecturers in any ages. This study envisages the positive values of accommodating Social Media Sites (SMSs) in teaching practices according to the professional educators. Thirty professional educators, i.e. the lecturers, from two universities (i.e. Multimedia Nusantara University and Bina Nusantara University) has participated in this study. The data was collected from the survey by means of questionnaires, analysed using percentages, and exposed the results descriptively. The findings reflected that the positive values of accommodating Social Media Sites in teaching practices were to develop social skills and improve academic skills. However among the two values, the latter was highly influencing the professional educators because of the four reasons: enabling to do tutorial lessons, providing online discussion space with experts or guest lecturers, assisting in doing peer-review and peer-editing, and enhancing the receptive skills, the productive skills, and also the critical thinking skills of the users in SMSs, especially the professional educators or lecturers. Thus, accommodating Social Media Sites (SMSs) in teaching practices is essential for professional educators in Indonesia.

  8. Effects of Web-Mediated Teacher Professional Development on the Language and Literacy Skills of Children Enrolled in Prekindergarten Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Downer, Jason T.; Pianta, Robert C.; Fan, Xitao; Hamre, Bridget K.; Mashburn, Andrew; Justice, Laura

    2011-01-01

    As early education grows in the United States, in-service professional development in key instructional and interaction skills is a core component of capacity building in early childhood education. In this article, we describe results from an evaluation of the effects of MyTeachingPartner, a web-based system of professional development, on…

  9. Developing a Professional Identity as an Elementary Teacher of Nature of Science: A Self-Study of Becoming an Elementary Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akerson, Valarie L.; Pongsanon, Khemmawadee; Weiland, Ingrid S.; Nargund-Joshi, Vanashri

    2014-01-01

    This study explores the development of professional identity as a teacher of nature of science (NOS). Our research question was "How can a teacher develop a professional identity as an elementary teacher of NOS?" Through a researcher log, videotaped lessons, and collection of student work, we were able to track efforts in teaching NOS as…

  10. Towards a Framework to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning: Consciousness and Validation in Computer Engineering Science, UCT

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lévano, Marcos; Albornoz, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    This paper aims to propose a framework to improve the quality in teaching and learning in order to develop good practices to train professionals in the career of computer engineering science. To demonstrate the progress and achievements, our work is based on two principles for the formation of professionals, one based on the model of learning…

  11. From Soap Opera to Research Methods Teaching: Developing an Interactive Website/DVD to Teach Research in Health and Social Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sabey, Abigail; Horrocks, Sue

    2011-01-01

    Research methods modules have become a core component of a range of nursing and allied health professional educational programmes both at pre-qualifying, undergraduate level and at post-qualifying and Masters' level, in keeping with requirements of professional bodies. These courses are offered both on a full time basis and part time for qualified…

  12. Strategies for Teaching Professional Ethics to IT Engineering Degree Students and Evaluating the Result.

    PubMed

    Miñano, Rafael; Uruburu, Ángel; Moreno-Romero, Ana; Pérez-López, Diego

    2017-02-01

    This paper presents an experience in developing professional ethics by an approach that integrates knowledge, teaching methodologies and assessment coherently. It has been implemented for students in both the Software Engineering and Computer Engineering degree programs of the Technical University of Madrid, in which professional ethics is studied as a part of a required course. Our contribution of this paper is a model for formative assessment that clarifies the learning goals, enhances the results, simplifies the scoring and can be replicated in other contexts. A quasi-experimental study that involves many of the students of the required course has been developed. To test the effectiveness of the teaching process, the analysis of ethical dilemmas and the use of deontological codes have been integrated, and a scoring rubric has been designed. Currently, this model is also being used to develop skills related to social responsibility and sustainability for undergraduate and postgraduate students of diverse academic context.

  13. Confident but not theoretically grounded - experienced simulation educators' perceptions of their own professional development.

    PubMed

    Allvin, Renée; Berndtzon, Magnus; Carlzon, Liisa; Edelbring, Samuel; Hult, Håkan; Hultin, Magnus; Karlgren, Klas; Masiello, Italo; Södersved Källestedt, Marie-Louise; Tamás, Éva

    2017-01-01

    Medical simulation enables the design of learning activities for competency areas (eg, communication and leadership) identified as crucial for future health care professionals. Simulation educators and medical teachers follow different career paths, and their education backgrounds and teaching contexts may be very different in a simulation setting. Although they have a key role in facilitating learning, information on the continuing professional development (pedagogical development) of simulation educators is not available in the literature. To explore changes in experienced simulation educators' perceptions of their own teaching skills, practices, and understanding of teaching over time. A qualitative exploratory study. Fourteen experienced simulation educators participated in individual open-ended interviews focusing on their development as simulation educators. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Marked educator development was discerned over time, expressed mainly in an altered way of thinking and acting. Five themes were identified: shifting focus, from following to utilizing a structure, setting goals, application of technology, and alignment with profession. Being confident in the role as an instructor seemed to constitute a foundation for the instructor's pedagogical development. Experienced simulation educators' pedagogical development was based on self-confidence in the educator role, and not on a deeper theoretical understanding of teaching and learning. This is the first clue to gain increased understanding regarding educational level and possible education needs among simulation educators, and it might generate several lines of research for further studies.

  14. Teaching in the Field: What Teacher Professional Life Histories Tell About How They Learn to Teach in the Outdoor Learning Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feille, Kelly K.

    2017-06-01

    This research investigates the professional life histories of upper elementary science teachers who were identified as effective both within the classroom and in the outdoor learning environment (OLE). The narratives of five teachers, collected through semistructured and open-ended interviews, provided the data for the study. Professional life histories were constructed for each teacher participant and an analysis of the teacher narratives identified the themes of teacher development across the voices of the participants. Narrative reasoning was used to unify those themes into a hypothetical professional life history as reported in this manuscript. Implications of this research can be realized for stakeholders in the preparation of pre-service teachers as well as the development of in-service teachers. Future research regarding the early induction years of new teachers, impacts of inclusion of the OLE in pre-service teacher instruction, and teacher experiences regarding professional development relating to efforts to include the OLE in formal education should be investigated.

  15. Transforming physics educator identities: TAs help TAs become teaching professionals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gretton, Anneke L.; Bridges, Terry; Fraser, James M.

    2017-05-01

    Research-based instructional strategies have been shown to dramatically improve student learning, but widespread adoption of these pedagogies remains limited. Post-secondary teaching assistants (TAs), with their current positions in course delivery and future roles as academic leaders, are an essential target group for teacher training. However, the literature suggests that successful TA professional development must address not only pedagogical practices but also the cultivation of physics educator identity. The primary goal of this study is to build a framework for TA professional development that strengthens the TA's identity as a physics educator. We base this framework on Etienne Wenger's model for communities of practice and Côté and Levine's personality and social structure identity perspective. We explore this framework in the context of a 12-week, low-cost, TA-led and TA-centered professional development intervention. Our qualitative and quantitative data suggest that this efficient community-based intervention strengthened TAs' identification as physics educators.

  16. Student Achievement and Retention: Can Professional Development Programs Help Faculty GRASP It?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McShannon, Judy; Hynes, Patricia

    2005-01-01

    Many faculty developers have difficulty involving engineering and science faculty in instructional development. Engineering professors are particularly quick to discount the relevance of teaching workshops, and many argue teaching methods presented in workshops lead to lower standards and inflated grades. This paper presents a successful…

  17. Constructivism, Collaboration and the Certificate of Teaching and Learning (CTL).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray, Joy

    This paper describes a professional development program for teachers. The Certificate of Teaching and Learning (CTL), developed in Australia for Kindergarten through Year 12 teachers across all subject areas. It outlines the process of conceptualization, the dilemmas faced by the development team, and the final implementation across Australia.…

  18. Learning to teach upper primary school algebra: changes to teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching functional thinking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilkie, Karina J.

    2016-06-01

    A key aspect of learning algebra in the middle years of schooling is exploring the functional relationship between two variables: noticing and generalising the relationship, and expressing it mathematically. This article describes research on the professional learning of upper primary school teachers for developing their students' functional thinking through pattern generalisation. This aspect of algebra learning has been explicitly brought to the attention of upper primary teachers in the recently introduced Australian curriculum. Ten practising teachers participated over 1 year in a design-based research project involving a sequence of geometric pattern generalisation lessons with their classes. Initial and final survey responses and teachers' interactions in regular meetings and lessons were analysed from cognitive and situated perspectives on professional learning, using a theoretical model for the different types of knowledge needed for teaching mathematics. The teachers demonstrated an increase in certain aspects of their mathematical knowledge for teaching algebra as well as some residual issues. Implications for the professional learning of practising and pre-service teachers to develop their mathematics knowledge for teaching functional thinking, and challenges with operationalising knowledge categories for field-based research are presented.

  19. [Teaching and learning the science of qualitative research in the health area].

    PubMed

    Calderón, Carlos

    2012-03-01

    Qualitative research constitutes a necessary perspective of knowledge within the field of health services. Healthcare always occurs in complex contexts and its enhancement requires research methodologies that address this complexity. Nevertheless, the knowledge and use of qualitative research in health services is still very limited. Among the different factors that affect its development, the teaching and learning of qualitative research proves to be fundamental, even beyond undergraduate education. Healthcare professionals and health services present certain specific aspects that must be considered in the design and development of the teaching and learning of qualitative research. Based on an eight-year online training experience with Primary Healthcare professionals, the main challenges are indentified and discussed.

  20. Comparison of expectations and beliefs about good teaching in an academic day release medical education program: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    van Roermund, Thea A C M; Mokkink, Henk G; Bottema, Ben J A M; van Weel, Chris; Scherpbier, Albert J J A

    2014-10-03

    In a professional learner-centered(ness) educational environment, communication and alignment of expectations about teaching are indispensable. Professional education of residents could benefit from an analysis and comparison of teachers' and residents' educational expectations and beliefs. Our purpose is to identify success factors and barriers related to aligning expectations and beliefs and building a supportive professional learner-centered educational environment. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with teachers and semi-structured focus groups with residents. A single interview format was used to make it possible to compare the results. Data were analysed using a qualitative software package (AtlasTi). Data analysis steps were followed by the author team, which identified four domains of good teaching: personal traits, knowledge, relationships and teaching qualities. Teachers and residents agreed about the importance of personal professional characteristics like being a role model and having an open and enthusiastic attitude. They all thought that having a specific knowledge base was essential for teaching. Approaching residents as adult learners was found to be an important element of the learner-centred environment and it was agreed that teachers should take practical experiences to a higher level. However, teachers and residents had different expectations about the practical consequences of being a role model, adult learning, coaching and openness, and the type of knowledge that was needed in the professional development program. Communication about different expectations appeared to be difficult. Teachers and residents agreed on a conceptual level about expectations and beliefs regarding good teaching, but disagreed on an executive level. According to the residents, the disagreement about good teaching was not the biggest barrier to creating alignment and a supportive professional relationship; instead, it was the absence of a proper dialogue regarding issues about expectations and beliefs.

  1. Educating for Digital Futures: What the Learning Strategies of Digital Media Professionals Can Teach Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bridgstock, Ruth

    2016-01-01

    This article explores how universities might engage more effectively with the imperative to develop students' twenty-first century skills for the information society, by examining learning challenges and professional learning strategies of successful digital media professionals. The findings of qualitative interviews with professionals from…

  2. Preparing Mainstream Classroom Teachers of English Learner Students: Grounding Practice-Based Designs for Teacher Learning in Theories of Adaptive Expertise Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Von Esch, Kerry Soo; Kavanagh, Sarah Schneider

    2018-01-01

    Preparing classroom teachers to teach English Learner (EL) students continues to challenge teacher educators. This article argues for EL teaching work to be situated within theories of professional learning that focus on developing teachers who can flexibly and innovatively integrate EL instructional practice into content area teaching. We propose…

  3. Professional Development of New Higher Education Teachers with Information and Communication Technology in Shanghai: A Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Bian; Hu, Yiling; Gu, Xiaoqing; Lim, Cher Ping

    2016-01-01

    As information and communication technology (ICT) continues to develop, it is essential for teachers to acquire ability for teaching with ICT. In China, new higher education (HE) teachers often lack teaching experience because there are limited teaching opportunities during their postgraduate studies. This status quo may compromise the quality of…

  4. Teacher Educators' Conceptualization of Ongoing Language Development in Professional Learning and Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swart, Fenna; de Graaff, Rick; Onstenk, Jeroen; Knèzic, Dubravka

    2018-01-01

    Sociocultural and dialogic theories of education have identified the need to integrate both pedagogical content and language knowledge into teachers' professional development to promote effective interaction with students about subject content. In this intervention study, a meta-perspective on language was developed to understand how experienced…

  5. 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…

  6. Professional Development: Teachers Use of GIS to Enhance Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McClurg, Patricia A.; Buss, Alan

    2007-01-01

    This article explains a professional development experience of fifth to twelfth grade teachers in using geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) technologies to enhance classroom teaching and learning environments. A key challenge faced by the developers was whether teachers would value the technology tools enough…

  7. Developing a Faculty Learning Community for Non-Tenure Track Professors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bond, Nathan

    2015-01-01

    Non-tenure track faculty vary greatly in terms of their ranks, teaching abilities, workloads, and motivational levels and have unique professional development needs. In response, universities are differentiating professional development for these professors. This case study examined an emerging research university's efforts to provide a faculty…

  8. Learning from the Past: Supporting Teaching through the "Facing the Past" History Project in South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tibbitts, Felisa

    2006-01-01

    This article presents an innovative professional development project, "Facing the Past-Transforming Our Future," developed collaboratively by the Western Cape Educational Department, the Cape Town Holocaust Centre (CTHC), and the US-based teacher professional development organization Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO). "Facing the…

  9. Practernship: A Theoretical Construct for Developing Professionalism in Preservice Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Millwater, Jan; Yarrow, Allan

    1997-01-01

    Professors from Australia's Queensland University introduce the concept of a "practernship" that is a variation of typical internship/apprenticeship programs for preservice teachers. The "practernship" combines practice teaching and internship, encourages collaboration and professional development, and promotes a holistic,…

  10. Designing and Evaluating a Professional Development Programme for Basic Technology Integration in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ansyari, Muhammad Fauzan

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to develop and evaluate a professional development programme for technology integration in an Indonesian university's English language teaching setting. The study explored the characteristics of this programme to English lecturers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) development. This design-based research employed…

  11. The "Shape" of Teacher Professionalism in England: Professional Standards, Performance Management, Professional Development and the Changes Proposed in the 2010 White Paper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Linda

    2011-01-01

    Teacher professionalism in England may be considered to have been shaped by the set of professional standards, and the accompanying statutory performance management system, introduced by the Labour government in 2007. More recently the coalition government's 2010 White Paper, "The Importance of Teaching", announced reforms that will…

  12. Developing the professional competence of future doctors in the instructional setting of higher medical educational institutions.

    PubMed

    Morokhovets, Halyna Yu; Lysanets, Yuliia V

    The main objectives of higher medical education is the continuous professional improvement of physicians to meet the needs dictated by the modern world both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In this respect, the system of higher medical education has undergone certain changes - from determining the range of professional competences to the adoption of new standards of education in medicine. The article aims to analyze the parameters of doctor's professionalism in the context of competence-based approach and to develop practical recommendations for the improvement of instruction techniques. The authors reviewed the psycho-pedagogical materials and summarized the acquired experience of teachers at higher medical institutions as to the development of instruction techniques in the modern educational process. The study is based on the results of testing via the technique developed by T.I. Ilyina. Analytical and biblio-semantic methods were used in the paper. It has been found that the training process at medical educational institution should be focused on the learning outcomes. The authors defined the quality parameters of doctors' training and suggested the model for developing the professional competence of medical students. This model explains the cause-and-effect relationships between the forms of instruction, teaching techniques and specific components of professional competence in future doctors. The paper provides practical recommendations on developing the core competencies which a qualified doctor should master. The analysis of existing interactive media in Ukraine and abroad has been performed. It has been found that teaching the core disciplines with the use of latest technologies and interactive means keeps abreast of the times, while teaching social studies and humanities to medical students still involves certain difficulties.

  13. Student and resident perspectives on professionalism: beliefs, challenges, and suggested teaching strategies.

    PubMed

    Salinas-Miranda, Abraham A; Shaffer-Hudkins, Emily J; Bradley-Klug, Kathy L; Monroe, Alicia D H

    2014-05-10

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the views of medical students and residents regarding the practice of professionalism, their perceived challenges, and ideas for the development of a new curriculum in medical professionalism. Data were collected from four focus groups comprised of 27 residents and medical students recruited from the University of South Florida Morsani School of Medicine and Residency Programs between January and March 2012. A questioning protocol was used to guide the focus group discussion. Data were transcribed for thematic analysis. Learners expressed beliefs regarding key attributes of professional behaviors, factors perceived to be associated with lapses of professional behavior, skills that need to be taught, and strategies to teach professionalism from the learners' perspective. Learners perceived that the values of professionalism are often disconnected from the reality evidenced in clinical training due to a myriad of personal and contextual challenges. Residents and students need help in negotiating some of the challenges to medical professionalism that are encountered in clinical settings. We recommend a learner's centered model of curriculum development in medical professionalism that takes into consideration perceived challenges and strategies for modeling and reinforcing medical professionalism.

  14. Productive Pedagogies and Teachers' Professional Learning in Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowes, Margot; Tinning, Richard

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines a professional development and learning intervention that sought to improve teachers' understandings of, and capacities to teach, "critical evaluation" in senior school physical education (SSPE). Physical education (PE) teachers and researchers formed a professional learning community (PLC) to deliver critical…

  15. A Study of Physics Faculty's Instructional Practices: Implications for Experiential STEM Faculty Development Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soto, Marissa; Suskavcevic, Miliana; Forrest, Rebecca; Cheung, Margaret; Kapral, Andrew; Khon, Lawrence

    When teaching physics, many factors determine the final impact the course will have on a student. Using STEP, a teacher content professional development program, we are studying the incorporation of inquiry-based teaching strategies in the professional development of university professors through an active engagement program. Through the professors' involvement in the program, they gain experience with inquiry-based instruction that can be put into effect in their own classrooms to possibly create a shift in understanding and success ratesat physics undergraduate courses. This model consists of faculty peer mentoring, facilitating instruction within a community of practice, and implementation of undergraduate inquiry-based physics teaching strategies. Here, professors are facilitating the physics lessons to in-service high school teachers while using inquiry strategies and interactive activities rather than traditional lecture. This project aided the creation of an undergraduate inquiry-based physics course at the University of Houston. It could lead to a new form of professor professional development workshop that does not only benefit the professor, but also highschoolteachers not properly trained in the field of physics.

  16. An in-depth study of a teacher engaged in an innovative primary science trial professional development project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watters, James J.; Ginns, Ian S.

    1997-03-01

    The implementation of effective science programmes in primary schools is of continuing interest and concern for professional developers. As part of the Australian Academy of science's approach to creating an awareness of Primary Investigations, a project team trialed a series of satellite television broadcasts of lessons related to two units of the curriculum for Year 3 and 4 children in 48 participating schools. The professional development project entitled Simply Science, included a focused component for the respective classroom teachers, which was also conducted by satellite. This paper reports the involvement of a Year 4 teacher in the project and describes her professional growth. Already an experienced and confident teacher, no quantitative changes in science teaching self efficacy were detected. However, her pedagogical content knowledge and confidence to teach science in the concept areas of matter and energy were enhanced. Changes in the teacher's views about the co-operative learning strategies espoused by Primary Investigations were also evident. Implications for the design of professional development programmes for primary science teachers are discussed.

  17. Developing Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning through Lesson Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Runcieman, Andria

    2015-01-01

    The author, who teaches in a Norfolk comprehensive school, presents an account of her involvement with the new research practice of lesson study, and discusses its benefits as part of a continuing professional development programme designed to encourage teachers to become more reflective.

  18. Cooking Up a Class: Teaching and Learning from an Undivided Self.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guenin-Lelle, Dianne

    2002-01-01

    Describes how an ethnic studies course on French Louisiana was conceptualized outside of the discipline, how an interdisciplinary teaching workshop was crucial to its development, and how the professor's connecting of self to professional development was the most important step. (EV)

  19. The GTA Mentoring Program: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Developing Future Faculty as Teacher-Scholars.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaia, A. Celeste; Corts, Daniel P.; Tatum, Holly E.; Allen, Jan

    2003-01-01

    Describes an interdisciplinary mentoring program for graduate teaching assistance, the Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) program. Outlines the vision and structure of the program and highlights its many benefits, which include the development of personal and professional relationships. (SLD)

  20. Teaching High School Chemistry in the Context of Pharmacology Helps Both Teachers and Students Learn

    PubMed Central

    Schwartz-Bloom, Rochelle D.; Halpin, Myra J.; Reiter, Jerome P.

    2014-01-01

    Few studies demonstrate the impact of teaching chemistry embedded in a context that has relevance to high school students. We build upon our prior work showing that pharmacology topics (i.e., drugs), which are inherently interesting to high school students, provide a useful context for teaching chemistry and biology. In those studies, teachers were provided professional development for the Pharmacology Education Partnership (PEP) in an onsite venue (either five-day or one-day workshop). Given financial difficulties to travel, teachers have asked for alternatives for professional development. Thus, we developed the same PEP training workshop using a distance learning (DL) (two-way live video) approach. In this way, 121 chemistry and biology teachers participated in the DL workshops to learn how to incorporate the PEP modules into their teaching. They field-tested the modules over the year in high school chemistry and biology classes. Teacher knowledge of chemistry and biology increased significantly after the workshop and was maintained for at least a year. Their students (N = 2309) demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge of chemistry and biology concepts, with higher scores as the number of modules used increased. The increase in both teacher and student knowledge in these subjects was similar to that found previously when teachers were provided with onsite professional development. PMID:24882881

  1. Building professional identity as computer science teachers: Supporting high school computer science teachers through reflection and community building

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ni, Lijun

    Computing education requires qualified computing teachers. The reality is that too few high schools in the U.S. have computing/computer science teachers with formal computer science (CS) training, and many schools do not have CS teacher at all. Moreover, teacher retention rate is often low. Beginning teacher attrition rate is particularly high in secondary education. Therefore, in addition to the need for preparing new CS teachers, we also need to support those teachers we have recruited and trained to become better teachers and continue to teach CS. Teacher education literature, especially teacher identity theory, suggests that a strong sense of teacher identity is a major indicator or feature of committed, qualified teachers. However, under the current educational system in the U.S., it could be challenging to establish teacher identity for high school (HS) CS teachers, e.g., due to a lack of teacher certification for CS. This thesis work centers upon understanding the sense of identity HS CS teachers hold and exploring ways of supporting their identity development through a professional development program: the Disciplinary Commons for Computing Educators (DCCE). DCCE has a major focus on promoting reflection on teaching practice and community building. With scaffolded activities such as course portfolio creation, peer review and peer observation among a group of HS CS teachers, it offers opportunities for CS teachers to explicitly reflect on and narrate their teaching, which is a central process of identity building through their participation within the community. In this thesis research, I explore the development of CS teacher identity through professional development programs. I first conducted an interview study with local HS CS teachers to understand their sense of identity and factors influencing their identity formation. I designed and enacted the professional program (DCCE) and conducted case studies with DCCE participants to understand how their participation in DCCE supported their identity development as a CS teacher. Overall, I found that these CS teachers held different teacher identities with varied features related to their motivation and commitment in teaching CS. I identified four concrete factors that contributed to these teachers' sense of professional identity as a CS teacher. I addressed some of these issues for CS teachers' identity development (especially the issue of lacking community) through offering professional development opportunities with a major focus on teacher reflection and community building. Results from this work indicate a potential model of supporting CS identity development, mapping the characteristics of the professional development program with particular facets of CS teacher identity. This work offers further understanding of the unique challenges that current CS teachers are facing in their CS teaching, as well as the challenges of preparing and supporting CS teachers. My findings also suggest guidelines for teacher education and professional development program design and implementation for building committed, qualified CS teachers in ways that promote the development of CS teacher identity.

  2. Online Teaching Efficacy: A Product of Professional Development and Ongoing Support.

    PubMed

    Richter, Sally; Idleman, Lynda

    2017-08-22

    The purpose of the pilot study was to investigate the perceptions of online teaching efficacy of nursing faculty who teach courses in which 51% or more of the content is offered online. Bandura's psychological construct of self-efficacy served as the conceptual framework. The research survey was administered to nursing faculty in a state university system located in the southeastern United States of America, plus two private universities. The Michigan Nurse Educator's Sense of Efficacy for Online Teaching Scale, which contains 32 items that measure how nurse educators judge their current capabilities for teaching online nursing courses, was used to gather data. Overall, the scores reflected that faculty perceived themselves as quite a bit efficacious on a scale that ranged from 1 to 9. As nursing educators received more support in designing and implementing online courses, their efficacy increased. It is critical that faculty are supported on an ongoing basis to increase and develop online teaching skills in order to teach high-quality courses in online programs. Faculty members must also be recognized for their work, time, and commitment required to be effective online educators. The findings of this study revealed those participants who had a number of professional development supports and release time to develop online courses have a greater sense of efficacy.

  3. High-Quality Professional Development for Teachers: Supporting Teacher Training to Improve Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeMonte, Jenny

    2013-01-01

    Professional development in education has gotten a bad reputation, and for good reason. Everyone on all sides of the education reform and improvement debate agrees that what most teachers receive as professional opportunities to learn are thin, sporadic, and of little use when it comes to improving teaching. This paper is the first of a periodic…

  4. The Effect Teaching Experience Has on Perceived Effectiveness of Interactive Television as a Distance Education Model for Elementary School Science Teacher's Professional Development: Another Digital Divide?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annetta, Leonard A.; Minogue, James

    2004-01-01

    The first year of a 5 year professional development project for elementary teachers in two mid-western states integrated a bridge of two distinctly different distance education networks (T-1 and fiber optics) to provide science professional development for elementary school teachers in rural communities. "Interactive television" (ITV), the title…

  5. Using Student-Generated Film To Create a Culturally Relevant Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, Jennifer D.

    2002-01-01

    Encourages modification of teaching strategies to facilitate academic achievement among students from diverse groups. Describes how the author collaborated with professionals from the Folger Library's Teaching Shakespeare Institute to develop a better way to teach Shakespeare to her predominantly African-American students. Describes how her…

  6. Teaching Online: Where Do Faculty Spend Their Time?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mandernach, B. Jean; Holbeck, Rick

    2016-01-01

    An understanding of online teaching time requirements provides essential information to inform scheduling, course size and instructor workload; in addition, awareness of the distribution of time across online teaching tasks provides insight to focus faculty efforts and tailor professional development to target instructional needs. The purpose of…

  7. Teaching and Assessing Professionalism in Medical Learners and Practicing Physicians*

    PubMed Central

    Mueller, Paul S.

    2015-01-01

    Professionalism is a core competency of physicians. Clinical knowledge and skills (and their maintenance and improvement), good communication skills, and sound understanding of ethics constitute the foundation of professionalism. Rising from this foundation are behaviors and attributes of professionalism: accountability, altruism, excellence, and humanism, the capstone of which is professionalism. Patients, medical societies, and accrediting organizations expect physicians to be professional. Furthermore, professionalism is associated with better clinical outcomes. Hence, medical learners and practicing physicians should be taught and assessed for professionalism. A number of methods can be used to teach professionalism (e.g. didactic lectures, web-based modules, role modeling, reflection, interactive methods, etc.). Because of the nature of professionalism, no single tool for assessing it among medical learners and practicing physicians exists. Instead, multiple assessment tools must be used (e.g. multi-source feedback using 360-degree reviews, patient feedback, critical incident reports, etc.). Data should be gathered continuously throughout an individual’s career. For the individual learner or practicing physician, data generated by these tools can be used to create a “professionalism portfolio,” the totality of which represents a picture of the individual’s professionalism. This portfolio in turn can be used for formative and summative feedback. Data from professionalism assessments can also be used for developing professionalism curricula and generating research hypotheses. Health care leaders should support teaching and assessing professionalism at all levels of learning and practice and promote learning environments and institutional cultures that are consistent with professionalism precepts. PMID:25973263

  8. Studying and Supporting the Teaching Practice of Calculus Teaching Assistants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lundholm, Christopher Ian

    2017-01-01

    Graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are an important group of math instructors whose practice deserves to be supported and studied. In this action research study, I lead a customized regimen of professional development (GQuesT model) for a cohort of first/second-year calculus TAs and study their teaching practice. This study focuses on how the TAs…

  9. "I Am Trying to Practice Good Teaching": Reconceptualizing ePortfolios for Professional Development in Vocational Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winberg, Christine; Pallitt, Nicola

    2016-01-01

    Teaching portfolios have become increasingly important to university teachers. Portfolio requirements for the appointment or promotion of academic staff recognize that the assessment of teaching practice requires more depth and detail than a candidate's academic CV generally affords. The focus of this study is the electronic teaching portfolios,…

  10. A National Survey of Teaching Artists Working in Schools: Background, Preparation, Efficacy and School Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snyder, Scott; Fisk, Timarie

    2016-01-01

    Several studies have described the characteristics and employment situations of teaching artists in the United States. This study adds to that literature by describing the characteristics of teaching artists working in K-12 school environments, the nature of the classroom roles of such teaching artists, the professional development and supervision…

  11. Issues Regarding Graduate Medical Education. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Ways and Means. House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, First Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Ways and Means.

    The Subcommittee met in the first of a series of hearings on graduate medical education aimed at developing a new Medicare health professional education and teaching hospital payment policy. The hearing examined new policies for training future health professionals, future medical manpower needs, and the financing of teaching hospitals. Current…

  12. Planning and Doing in Professional Teaching Practice. A Study with Early Childhood Education Teachers Working with ICT (3-6 Years)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramírez, Elena; Clemente, María; Recamán, Adriana; Martín-Domínguez, Jorge; Rodríguez, Inés

    2017-01-01

    Planning is one of the professional tasks teachers have to carry out before their direct action in the classrooms. This planning is closely interrelated to the way teachers teach. The question about how and why teachers reach their decisions in their pre-class planning is a classical one in the research into curricular design and development. The…

  13. Exploring the Role of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the Context of the Professional Identities of Faculty, Graduate Students, and Staff in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathany, Clarke; Clow, Katie M.; Aspenlieder, Erin D.

    2017-01-01

    Developing an identity as a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) researcher is associated with tensions of expanding on one's disciplinary identity and often traversing the liminal space between disciplines that result in a newfound perception of professional self. This study explores the differences that emerged in SoTL identity formation…

  14. Prepared for practice? Law teaching and assessment in UK medical schools.

    PubMed

    Preston-Shoot, Michael; McKimm, Judy

    2010-11-01

    A revised core curriculum for medical ethics and law in UK medical schools has been published. The General Medical Council requires medical graduates to understand law and ethics and behave in accordance with ethical and legal principles. A parallel policy agenda emphasises accountability, the development of professionalism and patient safety. Given the renewed focus on teaching and learning law alongside medical ethics and the development of professional identity, this survey aimed to identify how medical schools are responding to the preparation of medical students for practice in the future. Questions were asked about the location, content and methods of teaching and assessment of law in undergraduate medical education. Examples of course documentation were requested to illustrate the approaches being taken. A 76% response rate was achieved. Most responding schools integrate law teaching with medical ethics, emphasising both the acquisition of knowledge and its application in a clinical context. Teaching, learning and assessment of law in clinical attachments is much less formalised than that in non-clinical education. Coverage of recommended topic areas varies, raising questions about the degree to which students can embed their knowledge and skills in actual practice. More positively, teaching does not rely on single individuals and clear descriptions were offered for problem-based and small group case-based learning. Further research is required to explore whether there are optimum ways of ensuring that legal knowledge, and skills in its use, form part of the development of professionalism among doctors in training.

  15. Science-for-Teaching Discourse in Science Teachers' Professional Learning Communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lohwasser, Karin

    Professional learning communities (PLCs) provide an increasingly common structure for teachers' professional development. The effectiveness of PLCs depends on the content and quality of the participants' discourse. This dissertation was conducted to add to an understanding of the science content needed to prepare to teach science, and the discourse characteristics that create learning opportunities in teachers' PLCs. To this end, this study examined how middle school science teachers in three PLCs addressed science-for-teaching, and to what effect. Insight into discourse about content knowledge for teaching in PLCs has implications for the analysis, interpretation, and support of teachers' professional discourse, their collaborative learning, and consequently their improvement of practice. This dissertation looked closely at the hybrid space between teachers' knowledge of students, of teaching, and of science, and how this space was explored in the discourse among teachers, and between teachers and science experts. At the center of the study were observations of three 2-day PLC cycles in which participants worked together to improve the way they taught their curriculum. Two of the PLC cycles were supported, in part, by a science expert who helped the teachers explore the science they needed for teaching. The third PLC worked without such support. The following overarching questions were explored in the three articles of this dissertation: (1) What kind of science knowledge did teachers discuss in preparation for teaching? (2) How did the teachers talk about content knowledge for science teaching, and to what effect for their teaching practice? (3) How did collaborating teachers' discursive accountabilities provide opportunities for furthering the teachers' content knowledge for science teaching? The teachers' discourse during the 2-day collaboration cycles was analyzed and interpreted based on a sociocultural framework that included concepts from the practice-based theory of content knowledge for teaching developed by D. L. Ball, Thames, and Phelps (2008) and the Accountable Talk framework by Michaels, O'Connor, & Resnick (2008). The study's findings could provide justification for and ideas on how to provide targeted support for PLCs to make teachers' work on science knowledge more applicable to lesson planning, teaching, and student learning.

  16. "Experiential" Professional Development: Improving World Language Pedagogy inside Spanish Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Brigid Moira

    2012-01-01

    "Experiential" professional development (EPD), influenced by Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound design, was integrated in the classrooms of secondary Spanish teachers to create opportunities for them to learn to use communicative language teaching (CLT) through experience. Teachers collaborated with colleagues, students, and a…

  17. Enhancing Teacher Beliefs through an Inquiry-Based Professional Development Program

    PubMed Central

    McKeown, Tammy R.; Abrams, Lisa M.; Slattum, Patricia W.; Kirk, Suzanne V.

    2017-01-01

    Inquiry-based instructional approaches are an effective means to actively engage students with science content and skills. This article examines the effects of an ongoing professional development program on middle and high school teachers’ efficacy beliefs, confidence to teach research concepts and skills, and science content knowledge. Professional development activities included participation in a week long summer academy, designing and implementing inquiry-based lessons within the classroom, examining and reflecting upon practices, and documenting ways in which instruction was modified. Teacher beliefs were assessed at three time points, pre- post- and six months following the summer academy. Results indicate significant gains in reported teaching efficacy, confidence, and content knowledge from pre- to post-test. These gains were maintained at the six month follow-up. Findings across the three different time points suggest that participation in the professional development program strongly influenced participants’ fundamental beliefs about their capacity to provide effective instruction in ways that are closely connected to the features of inquiry-based instruction. PMID:29732236

  18. Enhancing Teacher Beliefs through an Inquiry-Based Professional Development Program.

    PubMed

    McKeown, Tammy R; Abrams, Lisa M; Slattum, Patricia W; Kirk, Suzanne V

    2016-01-01

    Inquiry-based instructional approaches are an effective means to actively engage students with science content and skills. This article examines the effects of an ongoing professional development program on middle and high school teachers' efficacy beliefs, confidence to teach research concepts and skills, and science content knowledge. Professional development activities included participation in a week long summer academy, designing and implementing inquiry-based lessons within the classroom, examining and reflecting upon practices, and documenting ways in which instruction was modified. Teacher beliefs were assessed at three time points, pre- post- and six months following the summer academy. Results indicate significant gains in reported teaching efficacy, confidence, and content knowledge from pre- to post-test. These gains were maintained at the six month follow-up. Findings across the three different time points suggest that participation in the professional development program strongly influenced participants' fundamental beliefs about their capacity to provide effective instruction in ways that are closely connected to the features of inquiry-based instruction.

  19. The SQL Server Database for Non Computer Professional Teaching Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Xiangwei

    2012-01-01

    A summary of the teaching methods of the non-computer professional SQL Server database, analyzes the current situation of the teaching course. According to non computer professional curriculum teaching characteristic, put forward some teaching reform methods, and put it into practice, improve the students' analysis ability, practice ability and…

  20. Web-based faculty development: e-learning for clinical teachers in the London Deanery.

    PubMed

    McKimm, Judy; Swanwick, Tim

    2010-03-01

    the London Deanery has provided a web-based resource for supporting the educational development needs of clinical teachers since 2002. This forms part of a range of resources supporting the professional development of clinical teachers and postgraduate supervisors. Following a review in 2007, the deanery commissioned a series of new e-learning modules designed as an introduction to clinical teaching. the deanery's faculty development initiatives are one response to requirements of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB), other policy drivers, workforce demands and service changes. Increasingly, doctors are required to provide an educational portfolio of evidence, and satisfy the teaching and training component of Good Medical Practice in revalidation or recertification. 'E-learning for clinical teachers' comprises 16 short, open-access, free-standing modules. The modules are built around a unifying structure, and cover core topics in clinical teaching: feedback; supervision; workplace-based learning; assessment; diversity and equal opportunities; career development; appraisal; lecturing; small group teaching; interprofessional education; and setting learning objectives. The modules can be used as a complementary resource to award-bearing programmes. On completion of a module, a certificate can be printed out for the teacher's portfolio. reflective practice and engagement with an individual's teaching practice is encouraged through self-assessment and a reflective log. The open-access, web-based format enables engagement with the material to suit a doctor's working and learning patterns, and is a valuable adjunct to other forms of learning. The site has been accessed by over 64000 health professionals (including students, trainees, qualified professionals, supervisors and staff developers) from 155 countries. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010.

  1. Teacher Characteristics and School-Based Professional Development in Inclusive STEM-focused High Schools: A Cross-case Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spillane, Nancy Kay

    Within successful Inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-focused High Schools (ISHSs), it is not only the students who are learning. Teachers, with diverse backgrounds, training, and experience, share and develop their knowledge through rich, embedded professional development to continuously shape their craft, improve their teaching, and support student success. This study of four exemplars of ISHSs (identified by experts in STEM education as highly successful in preparing students underrepresented in STEM for STEM majors in college and future STEM careers) provides a rich description of the relationships among the characteristics of STEM teachers, their professional development, and the school cultures that allow teachers to develop professionally and serve the needs of students. By providing a framework for the development of teaching staffs in ISHSs and contributing to the better understanding of STEM teaching in any school, this study offers valuable insight, implications, and information for states and school districts as they begin planning improvements to STEM education programs. A thorough examination of an existing data set that included site visits to four ISHSs along with pre- and post-visit data, provided the resource for this multiple case study with cross-case analysis of the teachers and their teacher professional development experiences. Administrators in these ISHSs had the autonomy to hire teachers with strong content backgrounds, philosophical alignment with the school missions, and a willingness to work collaboratively toward achieving the schools' goals. Ongoing teacher professional development began before school started and continued throughout the school day and year through intense and sustained, formal and informal, active learning experiences. Flexible professional development systems varied, but aligned with targeted school reforms and teacher and student needs. Importantly, collaborative teacher learning occurred within a school-wide culture of collaboration. Teachers were guided in establishing open lines of communication that supported regular engagement with others and the free flow of ideas, practices, and concerns. As a result of this collaboration, in conjunction with intentional pathways to teacher leadership, teacher professionalization was deliberately and successfully fostered creating an environment of shared mission and mutual trust, and a shared sense of responsibility for school-wide decision-making and school outcomes.

  2. The theory of planned behaviour in medical education: a model for integrating professionalism training.

    PubMed

    Archer, Ray; Elder, William; Hustedde, Carol; Milam, Andrea; Joyce, Jennifer

    2008-08-01

    Teaching and evaluating professionalism remain important issues in medical education. However, two factors hinder attempts to integrate curricular elements addressing professionalism into medical school training: there is no common definition of medical professionalism used across medical education, and there is no commonly accepted theoretical model upon which to integrate professionalism into the curriculum. This paper proposes a definition of professionalism, examines this definition in the context of some of the previous definitions of professionalism and connects this definition to the attitudinal roots of professionalism. The problems described above bring uncertainty about the best content and methods with which to teach professionalism in medical education. Although various aspects of professionalism have been incorporated into medical school curricula, content, teaching and evaluation remain controversial. We suggest that intervening variables, which may augment or interfere with medical students' implementation of professionalism knowledge, skills and, therefore, attitudes, may go unaddressed. We offer a model based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), which describes the relationships of attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioural control with behaviour. It has been used to predict a wide range of behaviours, including doctor professional behaviours. Therefore, we propose an educational model that expands the TPB as an organisational framework that can integrate professionalism training into medical education. We conclude with a discussion about the implications of using this model to transform medical school curricula to develop positive professionalism attitudes, alter the professionalism social norms of the medical school and increase students' perceived control over their behaviours.

  3. Evaluating Teaching Development Activities in Higher Education: A Toolkit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kneale, Pauline; Winter, Jennie; Turner, Rebecca; Spowart, Lucy; Hughes, Jane; McKenna, Colleen; Muneer, Reema

    2016-01-01

    This toolkit is developed as a resource for providers of teaching-related continuing professional development (CPD) in higher education (HE). It focuses on capturing the longer-term value and impact of CPD for teachers and learners, and moving away from immediate satisfaction measures. It is informed by the literature on evaluating higher…

  4. Awakening Teacher Voice and Student Voice: The Development of a Feminist Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weisner, Jill

    2004-01-01

    In this paper, the author presents a narrative describing both her personal life and professional life, sharing the development of her teaching strategies and their relationship to feminism. She details how her background, politics, insecurities, strengths, and values directly influenced the development of her teaching pedagogy, asserting that,…

  5. 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...

  6. Integrating Technology, Pedagogy and Content in Mathematics Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Handal, Boris; Campbell, Chris; Cavanagh, Michael; Petocz, Peter; Kelly, Nick

    2012-01-01

    The need for appraising the effective integration of technologies into teaching and learning within a disciplinary context is crucial for upholding quality teaching standards in schools and formulating professional development programs. This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument aimed at characterising the integration of…

  7. Developing Educational Goals: Insights from a Peer Assisted Teaching Scheme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, Bella; Carbone, Angela; Lindsay, Katherine; Drew, Steve; Phelan, Liam; Cottman, Caroline; Stoney, Sue

    2016-01-01

    The rapid changes facing higher education are placing increased focus on the quality of the student experience, achieving learning outcomes, and employability expectations. As a result, academics in teaching roles are increasingly measured on performance via student evaluations amplifying attention on professional development initiatives for…

  8. Professional Development of Higher Education Teachers, Can Distance Education Make a Difference?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nordkvelle, Yngve Troye

    2006-01-01

    The paper reviews some of the classical indicators of academic professionalism, and illuminates a historical epoche when research and teaching became separate dimensions of professionalism in higher education. The paper argues that this separation has gone too far and that a new sense of professionalism needs to be invoked in the area of teaching…

  9. Pedagogical Practices and Counselor Self-Efficacy: A Mixed Methods Investigations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brogan, Justin R.

    2009-01-01

    The current study investigated the Lecture Teaching Method and Socratic Teaching Method to determine if there was a relationship between pedagogical methods and Counselor Self-Efficacy (CSE). A course in Advanced Professional Development was utilized to determine if teaching methods could affect student perceptions of competence to practice…

  10. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Teaching Presence within Online Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Melinda G.; Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie L.; Zygouris-Coe, Vicky

    2014-01-01

    The Community of Inquiry model provides a framework for recognizing and evaluating interpersonal behaviors in online educational settings. One of its three components, teaching presence, describes behaviors that are under the auspices of the online instructor. By examining behaviors through the theoretical lens provided by teaching presence, and…

  11. Pedagogical Professional Development Needs of Postsecondary Faculty Who Teach Online

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zuleger, Julie A.

    2013-01-01

    The Internet has provided postsecondary institutions with many opportunities to offer online courses. The demand for trained instructors to teach online has risen concomitantly. This qualitative study investigated the pedagogical training needs of postsecondary faculty who teach online. Focus groups were used to identify the types of training, the…

  12. Teaching Assistants' Self-Efficacy in Teaching Literature: Sources, Personal Assessments, and Consequences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mills, Nicole

    2011-01-01

    Byrnes (2001) has suggested that the disconnection between language and literature instruction within many foreign language departments has consequences on the professionalization of graduate students. These structural issues lead to questions about graduate students' development. How do teaching assistants (TAs) perceive their competency as…

  13. 75 FR 3449 - Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Teaching American History Grant...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-21

    ... Educational Resources (OER). OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public... traditional American history content, proven teaching strategies, and lessons learned in implementing TAH... students. The applicant is encouraged to address how its proposed professional development strategy will...

  14. Implementing Mathematics Teaching That Promotes Students' Understanding through Theory-Driven Lesson Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Rongjin; Gong, Zikun; Han, Xue

    2016-01-01

    Lesson study (LS) has been practiced in China as an effective way to advance teachers' professional development for decades. This study explores how LS improves teaching that promotes students' understanding. A LS group including didacticians (practice-based teaching research specialist and University-based mathematics educators) and mathematics…

  15. Perceptions and Practices of Culturally Relevant Science Teaching in American Indian Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nam, Younkyeong; Roehrig, Gillian; Kern, Anne; Reynolds, Bree

    2013-01-01

    This study explores the perceptions of culturally relevant science teaching of 35 teachers of American Indian students. These teachers participated in professional development designed to help them better understand climate change science content and teaching climate change using both Western science and traditional and cultural knowledge. Teacher…

  16. [Current status of nurses' perceived professional benefits and influencing factors in 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin].

    PubMed

    Ma, H W; Dan, X; Xu, S H; Hou, R N; Zhao, N M

    2017-06-20

    Objective: To investigate the current status of nurses' perceived professional benefits in 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin, and analyze its influencing factors. Methods: A total of 421 clinical nurses from five 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin were recruited for investigation on perceived professional benefits by Nurses'Perceived Professional Benefits Scale. Results: The total score of nurses' perceived professional benefit was 110.50±14.24, the score index was 77.34%. Among five dimensions, the highest scores index was 84.80% for personal development, the lowest was 71.57% for identification by relatives and friends. Multiple linear regression analysis showed the three variables, such as department, teaching and cooperative relation between doctors and nurses entered the model, higher perceived professional benefits was observed in medical nurses, teaching nurses, and those with better cooperative relation between doctors and nurses ( P <0.05) . Conclusion: The investigated nurses in 3A-level hospitals in Tianjin show upper-moderate level of perceived professional benefits. Nursing managers should develop targeted interventions based on the factors affecting the perceived professional benefits of the nurses and further enhance their perceived professional benefits.

  17. Learning from the best: Overcoming barriers to reforms-based elementary science teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banchi, Heather May

    This study explored the characteristics of elementary science teachers who employ reforms-based practices. Particular attention was paid to the consistency of teachers' practices and their beliefs, the impact of professional development experiences on practices, and how teachers mitigated barriers to reforms-based instruction. Understanding how successful elementary science teachers develop fills a gap in the science reforms literature. Participants included 7 upper elementary science teachers from six different schools. All schools were located within two suburban school districts in the south-Atlantic United States and data was collected during the spring of 2008. Data collection included use of the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to evaluate the level of reforms-based instruction, as well as 35 hours of classroom observation field notes and 21 hours of audio-taped teacher interviews. The variety of data sources allowed for triangulation of evidence. The RTOP was analyzed using descriptive statistics and classroom observations and interview data were analyzed using Erickson's (1986) guidelines for analytic induction. Findings indicated (a) reforms-based elementary science teaching was attainable, (b) beliefs and practices were consistent and both reflected reforms-based philosophies and practices, (c) formal professional development experiences were limited and did not foster reforms-based practices, (d) informal professional development pursued by teachers had a positive impact on practices, (e) barriers to reforms-based instruction were present but mitigated by strong beliefs and practical strategies like curriculum integration. These findings suggest that there are common, salient characteristics of reforms-based teachers' beliefs, practices, and professional development experiences. These commonalities contribute to an understanding of how reforms-based teachers develop, and inform efforts to move all elementary teachers in the direction of reforms-based science teaching.

  18. Understanding What Is Possible across a Career: Professional Identity Development beyond Transition to Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mahmoudi-Gahrouei, Vahid; Tavakoli, Mansoor; Hamman, Doug

    2016-01-01

    Professional identity surfaces repeatedly as an important underlying factor in teacher development. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used to investigate identity development in terms of teachers' expected and feared possible selves. Teachers (n = 120) representing three career groups (prospect, new, and experienced) participated.…

  19. Steps Forward and Back in Adult Numeracy Teacher Professional Development: A Reflection on a Teacher Workshop Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saliga, Linda Marie; Daviso, Al; Stuart, Denise; Pachnowski, Lynne

    2015-01-01

    In this project, a university team of teacher education and mathematics professors conducted eight professional development sessions for General Educational Development (GED) teachers in the area of mathematics teaching. Topics included concretely modeling mathematics concepts in algebra, number sense, geometry, and differentiating instruction in…

  20. Situated Learning, Reflective Practice and Conceptual Expansion: Effective Peer Observation for Tutor Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Amani; Mladenovic, Rosina

    2015-01-01

    Despite tutors' importance, they often encounter inadequate professional development and support. This study describes the impact of peer observation of teaching activities on tutors' professional development using multiple data-sets over a three-year period. The data was analysed according to three themes: situated learning, reflective practice…

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