Elementary School Teachers' Motivation toward Web-Based Professional Development, and the Relationship with Internet Self-Efficacy and Belief about Web-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao, Chia-Pin; Wu, Ying-Tien; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to explore the relationships between teachers' motivation toward web-based professional development, Internet self-efficacy, and beliefs about web-based learning. By gathering questionnaire data from 484 elementary school teachers, this study indicated that the teachers' Internet self-efficacy and behavioral beliefs about…

Understanding the Complexity of Teacher Interaction in a Teacher Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjoer, Ellen; Meirink, Jacobiene

2016-01-01

In this study, we examine a professional learning community of primary school teachers developing a joint school-based curriculum for science and technology (S&T) education. Team meetings were observed over the course of one school year and the participating teachers and school head were interviewed. An essential factor in the team's…

Enabling School Structures, Collegial Trust and Academic Emphasis: Antecedents of professional learning communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Julie; Kruse, Sharon; Tarter, C. John

2016-01-01

This study tested the role of enabling school structures, collegial trust and academic emphasis in the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) in a low-income school district. The empirical study was based upon the perceptions of teachers and principals as provided by survey responses (N = 67 schools). While enabling school…

Teacher Education in Schools as Learning Communities: Transforming High-Poverty Schools through Dialogic Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Carrion, Rocio; Gomez, Aitor; Molina, Silvia; Ionescu, Vladia

2017-01-01

Teachers' professional development in Schools as Learning Communities may become a key process for the sustainability and transferability of this model worldwide. Learning Communities (LC) is a community-based project that aims to transform schools through dialogic learning and involves research-grounded schools that implement Successful…

Job-Embedded Professional Development: How School Leaders Create and Support the Structures for Improved Teacher Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussey, Maureen P.

2013-01-01

This study was an exploration of the steps school leaders take when creating site-based professional support for school-based staff. The objective was to learn the steps taken by school leaders to implement job-embedded professional development practices and to identify the impact those steps had on the teachers, the students, and the school…

Teachers' Views of School-Based Professional Learning in Six High-Performing, High-Poverty, Urban Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinhorn, Stefanie Karchmer

2015-01-01

Policy makers, practitioners and scholars agree that teachers need sustained job-embedded professional learning experiences to help students meet the demands of new accountability systems, higher education, and the workforce (Smylie, Miretzky, & Konkol, 2004; Valli & Buese, 2007). Research shows that job-embedded learning for teachers can…

Singapore Schools and Professional Learning Communities: Teacher Professional Development and School Leadership in an Asian Hierarchical System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hairon, Salleh; Dimmock, Clive

2012-01-01

While the literature on professional learning communities (PLCs) has proliferated, much of it derived from and contextualised in Anglo-American settings, the concept and practice of PLCs in Asian contexts of strong hierarchies have largely been ignored. Based on literature and documentary analysis, this paper investigates the systemic…

Development of Analytical Competencies and Professional Identities through School-Based Learning in Denmark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andresen, Bent B.

2015-01-01

This article presents the main results of a case study on teachers' professional development in terms of competence and identity. The teachers involved in the study are allocated time by their schools to participate in professional "affinity group" meetings. During these meetings, the teachers gather and analyse school-based data about…

Problem Finding in Professional Learning Communities: A Learning Study Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Yuen Sze Michelle; Caleon, Imelda Santos

2016-01-01

This study marries collaborative problem solving and learning study in understanding the onset of a cycle of teacher professional development process within school-based professional learning communities (PLCs). It aimed to explore how a PLC carried out collaborative problem finding--a key process involved in collaborative problem solving--that…

Missouri Program Highlights How Standards Make a Difference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killion, Joellen

2017-01-01

Professional development designed to integrate key features of research-based professional learning has positive and significant effects on teacher practice and student achievement in mathematics when implemented in schools that meet specified technology-readiness criteria. Key features of research-based professional learning include intensive…

Network Learning for Educational Change. Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veugelers, Wiel, Ed.; O'Hair, Mary John, Ed.

2005-01-01

School-university networks are becoming an important method to enhance educational renewal and student achievement. Networks go beyond tensions of top-down versus bottom-up, school development and professional development of individuals, theory and practice, and formal and informal organizational structures. The theoretical base of networking…

Mediating Effects of Trust, Communication, and Collaboration on Teacher Professional Learning in Hong Kong Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Lijuan; Hallinger, Philip; Kennedy, Kerry John; Walker, Allan

2017-01-01

This study tests mediated principal leadership effects on teacher professional learning through collegial trust, communication and collaboration in Hong Kong primary schools. It is based on a series of single mediator studies, and uses the same convenience sample of 970 teachers from 32 local primary schools. It also adopts regression-based…

Facilitating a Culture of Relational Trust in School-Based Action Research: Recognising the Role of Middle Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards-Groves, Christine; Grootenboer, Peter; Ronnerman, Karin

2016-01-01

Practices such as formal focused professional dialogue groups, coaching conversations, mentoring conversations and professional learning staff meetings have been taken up in schools and pre-schools as part of long-term action research and development activities to improve the learning and teaching practices. The development of relational trust has…

Transformational Leadership & Professional Development for Digitally Rich Learning Environments: A Case Study of the Galileo Educational Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobsen, Michele; Clifford, Pat; Friesen, Sharon

The Galileo Educational Network is an innovative educational reform initiative that brings learning to learners. Expert teachers work alongside teachers and students in schools to create new images of engaged learning, technology integration and professional development. This case study is based on the nine schools involved with Galileo in…

A professional learning community model: a case study of primary teachers community in west Bandung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, A.; Suryadi, D.; Syaodih, E.

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study is to provide an alternative model of professional learning community for primary school teachers in improving the knowledge and professional skills. This study is a qualitative research with case study method with data collection is an interview, observation and document and triangulation technique for validation data that focuses on thirteen people 5th grade elementary school teacher. The results showed that by joining a professional learning community, teachers can share both experience and knowledge to other colleagues so that they can be able to continue to improve and enhance the quality of their learning. This happens because of the reflection done together before, during and after the learning activities. It was also revealed that by learning in a professional learning community, teachers can learn in their own way, according to need, and can collaborate with their colleagues in improving the effectiveness of learning. Based on the implementation of professional learning community primary school teachers can be concluded that teachers can develop the curriculum, the students understand the development, overcome learning difficulties faced by students and can make learning design more effective and efficient.

Technology-Enhancement for Papua New Guinean Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bino, Vagi; Edmonds-Wathen, Cris

2014-01-01

Technology facilitated the implementation of teacher professional learning based on a design of principles to improve the teaching of "Cultural Mathematics" in elementary schools in Papua New Guinea. An offline "website", a set of interlinked resource materials was used in workshops to enhance the professional learning.…

Applying the Design Framework to Technology Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curwood, Jen Scott

2013-01-01

Building on contemporary research on teacher professional development, this study examined the practices of a technology-focused learning community at a high school in the United States. Over the course of a school year, classroom teachers and a university-based researcher participated in the learning community to investigate how technology can…

The Impact of Individual, Educational, and Workplace Factors on the Transfer of School-Based Learning into the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renta Davids, Ana Inés; Van den Bossche, Piet; Gijbels, David; Fandos Garrido, Manel

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the transfer of learning of professional competences from vocational colleges to the workplace context in vocational education. Concretely, the study examined the relations between the professional competences learned at school and the use and further development of those competences at the workplace during…

Professional/Peer-Learning Community: Impacts on Workplace Training at Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phusavat, Kongkiti Peter; Delahunty, David; Kess, Pekka; Kropsu-Vehkapera, Hanna

2017-01-01

Purpose: The study aims to examine the issues relating to workplace learning at the upper secondary school level. This study is based on the two questions. How should the professional/peer-learning community or PLC be developed and deployed to help strengthen in-service teacher training? The second question is what are the success factors which…

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.

Factors that Influence Acceptance of Web-Based E-Learning Systems for the In-Service Education of Junior High School Teachers in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hong-Ren; Tseng, Hsiao-Fen

2012-01-01

Web-based e-learning is not restricted by time or place and can provide teachers with a learning environment that is flexible and convenient, enabling them to efficiently learn, quickly develop their professional expertise, and advance professionally. Many research reports on web-based e-learning have neglected the role of the teacher's…

It takes a village: supporting inquiry- and equity-oriented computer science pedagogy through a professional learning community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryoo, Jean; Goode, Joanna; Margolis, Jane

2015-10-01

This article describes the importance that high school computer science teachers place on a teachers' professional learning community designed around an inquiry- and equity-oriented approach for broadening participation in computing. Using grounded theory to analyze four years of teacher surveys and interviews from the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program in the Los Angeles Unified School District, this article describes how participating in professional development activities purposefully aimed at fostering a teachers' professional learning community helps ECS teachers make the transition to an inquiry-based classroom culture and break professional isolation. This professional learning community also provides experiences that challenge prevalent deficit notions and stereotypes about which students can or cannot excel in computer science.

Teacher Professional Learning Communities: Going beyond Contrived Collegiality toward Challenging Debate and Collegial Learning and Professional Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Susanne

2014-01-01

Professional learning community (PLC) is a current "buzz" term in business and educational contexts, seemingly referring to anything from decision making committees to regular meeting groups or collegial learning teams. This paper explores the concept of a PLC within three significantly innovative schools, based on an examination of the…

What Research Tells Us: Common Characteristics of Professional Learning that Leads to Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blank, Rolf K.

2013-01-01

Today's education policy places a high priority on improving teacher quality and teaching effectiveness in U.S. schools. Standards-based professional learning requires teachers to have deep subject knowledge and the most effective pedagogy for teaching the subject. States and school districts are charged with establishing teacher professional…

Providing School-Based Learning in Elementary School Mathematics: The Case of a Professional Development School Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polly, Drew

2017-01-01

School-university partnerships also known as professional development school (PDS) partnerships provide potential for universities and schools to establish partnerships that can benefit university faculty, school teachers, university students, and school students. This study examines the impact of a PDS partnership in which the author served as a…

Development of analytical competencies and professional identities through school-based learning in Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andresen, Bent B.

2015-12-01

This article presents the main results of a case study on teachers' professional development in terms of competence and identity. The teachers involved in the study are allocated time by their schools to participate in professional "affinity group" meetings. During these meetings, the teachers gather and analyse school-based data about factors which persistently create and sustain challenges in effective student education (grade K-10). This process improves their understanding and undertaking of job-related tasks. The affinity group meetings also influence the teachers' professional identity. The research findings thus illustrate the fact that the analytical approach of affinity groups, based on the analysis of the difficulties in their daily job, provides good results in terms of competencies and identity perception. In general, as a result of meeting in affinity groups, adult learners develop professional competencies and identities which are considered crucial in rapidly changing schools characterised by an increased focus on, among other things, lifelong learning, social inclusion, school digitalisation, and information literacy. The research findings are thus relevant for ministries and school owners, teacher-trainers and supervisors, schools and other educational institutions, as well as teachers and their organisations worldwide.

Learning through Interactive Talk: A School-Based Mentor Teacher Study Group as a Context for Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, D.

2005-01-01

This article reports on a year-long study of collaborative professional learning in a mentor teacher study group connected to a large university teacher education program. It introduces a theoretical framework for considering the nature of interactive talk and its relationship to professional learning. Using examples of study group discourse, it…

Learning from First Time eLearning Experiences for Continuous Professional Development of School Leaders in the Maldives: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saeed, Sheema; Moreira, Maria Alfredo

2010-01-01

In Maldives, educational policy makers are beginning to explore the value of ICT and web tools as a medium of continuous professional development for school leaders and teachers. This paper reports on insights and responses of a group of five school leaders who participated in a web based distance education course. For most of them, this was their…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hipp, Kristine Kiefer; Huffman, Jane Bumpers

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

Professional Learning Communities Impact on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Jan L.

2013-01-01

This study examined the impact of the Professional Learning Community model on student achievement in the state of California. Specifically, the study compared student achievement between two school types: Professional Learning Community schools and Non Professional Learning schools. The research utilized existing API scores for California schools…

VET Students' Integration of Knowledge Engaged with in School-Based and Workplace-Based Learning Environments in the Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baartman, L. K. J.; Kilbrink, N.; de Bruijn, E.

2018-01-01

In vocational education, students learn in different school-based and workplace-based learning environments and engage with different types of knowledge in these environments. Students are expected to integrate these experiences and make meaning of them in relation to their own professional knowledge base. This study focuses both on…

Teacher Self-Efficacy, Professional Development and Student Reading Performance in Persistently Low-Performing Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington, Vanassa

2016-01-01

The overall aim of this quantitative non-experimental study was to investigate the degree to which content-focused professional development, active based-learning professional development and teacher self-efficacy predict student performance in reading, within persistently low-performing schools. The need to investigate professional development in…

An Evaluation of a School-Based Professional Development Program on Teachers' Efficacy for Technology Integration: Findings from an Initial Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skoretz, Yvonne; Childress, Ronald

2013-01-01

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine the impact of a school-based, job-embedded professional development program on elementary and middle school teacher efficacy for technology integration. Participant bi-weekly journal postings were analyzed using Grappling's "Technology and Learning Spectrum" (Porter, 2001) to…

Learning Challenges Involved in Developing Leading for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timperley, Helen S.

2006-01-01

The study in this article seeks to understand the learning challenges involved in developing learning-centered leadership in schools. It is based on Southworth's (1998, 2004) ideas of leadership for improving schools, which comprise promoting learning-centered improvement at all levels through professional development and a focus on the quality of…

Managing School-Based Professional Development Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Eric C. K.

2017-01-01

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

Investigating Professional Learning Communities in Turkish Schools: The Effects of Contextual Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellibas, Mehmet Sukru; Bulut, Okan; Gedik, Serafettin

2017-01-01

A great number of studies have focused on professional learning communities in schools, but only a limited number of studies have treated the construct of professional learning communities as a dependent variable. The purpose of this research is to investigate Turkish schools' capacity for supporting professional learning communities and to…

Students' Learning Processes during School-Based Learning and Workplace Learning in Vocational Education: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaap, Harmen; Baartman, Liesbeth; de Bruijn, Elly

2012-01-01

Learning in vocational schools and workplaces are the two main components of vocational education. Students have to develop professional competences by building meaningful relations between knowledge, skills and attitudes. There are, however, some major concerns about the combination of learning in these two learning environments, since vocational…

Development of Students' Personal Professional Theories in Senior Secondary Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaap, H.; Van der Schaaf, M. F.; de Bruijn, E.

2011-01-01

Students in competence-based senior secondary vocational education are expected to actively construct personal knowledge during school-based learning and workplace learning. This study introduces the construct "personal professional theory" (PPT) to monitor and analyse students' personal knowledge development. It aims to investigate the…

Leadership and the Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaspar, Sandra

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the transformation of one small, rural school district's professional development program. The study focused on the actions that school leaders took to replace a traditional, workshop-based program that was deemed ineffective with a new professional development model. The new model was designed to create…

Facilitation for Professional Learning Community Conversations in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salleh, Hairon

2016-01-01

Professional Learning Community (PLC) has steadily grown in importance over the last decade. The growing importance of PLCs lies in its potential to act as a lever for school-based curriculum development and innovation so as to provide diverse learning experiences to satisfy broader learning outcomes beyond academic achievements (e.g., the…

Teacher Collaboration and Student Learning in a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, Mary Elaine

2013-01-01

Researchers have endorsed teacher collaboration within a professional learning community (PLC) that is focused on student learning. Despite these research-based endorsements, several Algebra 1 teachers in a southeastern high school implemented components of a PLC with little or no results in student achievement. The purpose of this study was to…

Environmental Impact: Reinforce a Culture of Continuous Learning with These Key Elements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Brian; Gammell, Jessica

2017-01-01

Fostering a robust professional learning culture in schools is vital for attracting and retaining high-caliber talent. Education leaders are looking for guidance on how to establish and sustain an environment that fosters continuous learning. Based on their experience in helping educators design and implement professional learning systems, the…

Nimble Navigation: A Constant Cycle Assessment Keeps Learning on Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Wendy; Johanson, Terry

2016-01-01

Just like in a classroom, a professional learning facilitator needs to base planning and instruction on assessment. Adult learners need the learning experience to be as focused as possible on their questions and their teaching circumstances. Whether the professional learning is a half-day session or extends over multiple school years, leaders can…

"A Lifelong Classroom": Social Studies Educators' Engagement with Professional Learning Networks on Twitter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noble, Anna; McQuillan, Patrick; Littenberg-Tobias, Josh

2016-01-01

Growing numbers of educators are using social media platforms to connect with other educators to form professional learning networks. These networks serve as alternative sources of professional development for teachers who seek to enrich their professional growth beyond school-based programs. This study aims to add to the small but growing body of…

School District Professional Learning: Teachers' Perceptions of Instructional Leadership, Teacher Practice, and Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avery, Christine M.

2013-01-01

This dissertation study includes an evaluation of a school district model of professional learning that aims to improve school administrators' instructional leadership skills and teacher practice to positively impact student learning. This study employs a valid and reliable survey instrument that measures professional learning standards. The…

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.

Pacific CRYSTAL Teacher Professional Development Models: Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2010-12-01

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

Promoting Professional Identity: A Within Group Comparison of Wiki-Based and Traditional Assignments on School Counselling Students' Learning, Sense of Community and Computer Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rockinson-Szapkiw, Amanda J.; Pritchard, Tracey; McComb-Beverage, Shanna; Schellenberg, Rita

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare traditional and non-traditional instructional practices used in a counsellor education programme to determine their effect on pre-service school counsellors' learning and sense of community, thus leading to enhanced professional identity. Traditional and non-traditional assignments were examined: (a) a…

Researching the Effectiveness of a Science Professional Learning Programme Using a Proposed Curriculum Framework for Schools: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paige, Kathryn; Zeegers, Yvonne; Lloyd, David; Roetman, Philip

2016-01-01

This paper reports on an action research-based professional learning programme (PLP) in which early career teachers volunteered to identify and then research an aspect of their science teaching practice. The PLP was facilitated by academics from the School of Education and the Barbara Hardy Institute at the University of South Australia. The…

Assessing the Status of Professional Learning Opportunities in EARCOS Member Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardeman, Mark Brandon

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which professional development programs within EARCOS member schools are consistent with research-based principles of effective practice. In addition, this study sought to identify the professional development opportunities that are being provided to EARCOS teachers. Finally, this study…

"Lesson Study" as Professional Culture in Japanese Schools: An Historical Perspective on Elementary Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arani, Mohammad Reza Sarkar; Keisuke, Fukaya; Lassegard, James P.

2010-01-01

This research examines "lesson study" as a traditional model of creating professional knowledge in schools. "Lesson study," typically defined as teachers' classroom based collaborative research, has a long history in Japan as a shared professional culture with potential for enhancing learning, enriching classroom activities and…

Teachers' Attitudes toward Web-Based Professional Development, with Relation to Internet Self-Efficacy and Beliefs about Web-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao, Chia-Pin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to explore the relationships between teachers' Internet self-efficacy, beliefs about web-based learning and attitudes toward web-based professional development. The sample of this study included 421 teachers, coming from 20 elementary schools in Taiwan. The three instruments used to assess teachers' Internet self-efficacy…

Fostering Self-Reflection and Meaningful Learning: Earth Science Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monet, Julie A.; Etkina, Eugenia

2008-01-01

This paper describes the analysis of teachers' journal reflections during an inquiry-based professional development program. As a part of their learning experience, participants reflected on what they learned and how they learned. Progress of subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge was assessed though surveys and pre- and posttests. We…

Professional Learning Communities: Teachers' Perceptions and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Erica

2013-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLC's) are designed to help schools improve student achievement; all decisions are based on the needs of students. PLC's are an effective way to receive professional development (PD), allow for collaboration with fellow teachers, and offer timely intervention to all students. In a district known for PLC…

A Professional Learning Community Activity for Science Teachers: How to Incorporate Discourse-Rich Instructional Strategies into Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Elizabeth; Baker, Dale; Watts, Nievita Bueno; Lang, Michael

2014-01-01

In this article we describe current educational research underlying a comprehensive model for building a scientific classroom discourse community. We offer a professional development activity for a school-based professional learning community, providing specific science instructional strategies within this interactive teaching model. This design…

Supporting Statewide Implementation of the Learning School Initiative. Catalyst Schools Research Study Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammer, Patricia Cahape

2016-01-01

This is the first in a series of reports based on a research study, Developing Effective Professional Learning Communities in Catalyst Schools, conducted between February 2015 and June 2016. "Catalyst schools" were elementary- and secondary-level schools selected to participate in a pilot project intended to explore how best to support…

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…

Design-Based Research for Professional Learning for "Cultural Mathematics"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kravia, Geori; Owens, Kay

2014-01-01

Design-based research is being used to develop and refine the principles used in professional learning workshops with teachers from three different Papua New Guinean ecologies: highlands, coastal, and inland in a coastal province. The appropriateness of the design of principles for Papua New Guinean Elementary Schools is tried over several phases…

National Impact: Creating Teacher Leaders through the Use of Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franz, Dana Pomykal; Hopper, Peggy F.; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

This article deals with the use of Problem-Based Learning. The emphasis on high stakes testing, classroom size, diversity, school violence, and much more impact public education and professional preparation programs relative to teacher education. Issues are presented dealing with Accrediting Commissions and Professional Organizations, and the use…

Perceptions of School Principals on Participation in Professional Learning Communities as Job-Embedded Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudioso, Jennifer A.

2017-01-01

Perceptions of School Principals on Participation in Professional Learning Communities as Job-Embedded Learning Jennifer Gaudioso Principal Professional Learning Communities (PPLCs) have emerged as a vehicle for professional development of principals, but there is little research on how principals experience PPLCs or how districts can support…

Case Study of Professional Learning Community Characteristics in an Egyptian Private School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenoyer, Faith E.

2012-01-01

This case study of an Egyptian school sought to explore staff perceptions of which characteristics of a professional learning community, as posited by Hord (1997), were found in ABC School's culture. Educational staff (52 (100%)) completed the School Professional Staff as Learning Community Questionnaire (SPSLCQ) and 18 (35%) educational staff…

Community Engagement as Catalyst for Professional Learning, Reflection, and Agency in Preservice-Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klehr, Mary

2015-01-01

I am a public elementary teacher currently serving as a school-based supervisor for a Professional Development School (PDS) undergraduate elementary-teacher-education program in Madison, Wisconsin, where our charge is to leverage the intersecting contexts of school, university, and community to prepare skilled and caring teachers for urban…

High-Achieving Schools Put Equity Front and Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleason, Sonia Caus; Gerzon, Nancy

2014-01-01

How does professional learning look and feel in high-poverty schools where every student makes at least one year's worth of progress every year? How do schools and leaders put all the varied components of professional learning together so that they support all students learning every day? What professional learning grounds and sustains educators…

The 3 R's of Learning Time: Rethink, Reshape, Reclaim

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sackey, Shera Carter

2012-01-01

The Learning School Alliance is a network of schools collaborating about professional practice. The network embodies Learning Forward's purpose to advance effective job-embedded professional learning that leads to student outcomes. A key component of Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning is a focus on collaborative learning,…

Enhancing Self-Efficacy in Elementary Science Teaching with Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mintzes, Joel J.; Marcum, Bev; Messerschmidt-Yates, Christl; Mark, Andrew

2013-01-01

Emerging from Bandura's Social Learning Theory, this study of in-service elementary school teachers examined the effects of sustained Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on self-efficacy in science teaching. Based on mixed research methods, and a non-equivalent control group experimental design, the investigation explored changes in…

Teachers' Professional Agency and Learning--From Adaption to Active Modification in the Teacher Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyhältö, Kirsi; Pietarinen, Janne; Soini, Tiina

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine teacher learning in terms of teachers' professional agency in the professional community of the school. Altogether 2310 Finnish comprehensive school teachers completed a survey. Results showed that teachers' active efforts to learn in the professional community and to promote school development cannot be…

Professional Learning Communities: Concepts in Action in a Principal Preparation Program, an Elementary School Team, a Leadership Team, and a Business Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Servais, Kristine; Derrington, Mary Lynne; Sanders, Kellie

2009-01-01

The Professional Learning Community (PLC) model has moved to the forefront in the field of education as one of the most effective frameworks to improve student achievement and overall school success. The research conducted for this paper provides evidence for systemic and action based improvement using the PLC model in four diverse venues:…

Teachers' Learning in School-Based Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Postholm, May Britt; Waege, Kjersti

2016-01-01

Background and purpose: Many researchers agree that teachers' learning processes are social and that teachers need to be brought together to learn from each other. Researchers have also stated that intellectual and pedagogical change requires professional development activities that take place over a period of time in school. The purpose of the…

Educational Reforms and the Practices of Professional Learning Community in Hong Kong Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pang, Nicholas Sun-Keung; Wang, Ting; Leung, Zoe Lai-Mei

2016-01-01

This study explored the characteristics of professional learning communities (PLCs) in Hong Kong primary schools. It investigated the profiles of the strengths of professional learning community in schools under study and particularly examined the practices in schools which were identified as strong PLCs. It extends research on PLCs in the Hong…

10 Good Ways to Ensure Bad Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Laura R.

2013-01-01

The author spends a lot of time thinking about good professional learning vs. typical professional development. Based on her 20-plus years of experience, as well as a bit of inspiration from Reuben Duncan, assistant superintendent in School Administrative Unit 29 in Keene, N.H., she shares what she considers to be the ten best ways to waste…

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,…

Professional Learning Communities Facilitator's Guide for the What Works Clearinghouse™ Practice Guide: Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School. REL 2015-105

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimino, Joseph A.; Taylor, Mary Jo; Morris, Joan

2015-01-01

This facilitator's guide is designed to assist professional learning communities (PLCs) in applying evidence-based strategies to help K-8 English learners acquire the language and literacy skills needed to succeed academically. Through this collaborative learning experience, educators will expand their knowledge base as they read, discuss, share,…

A Qualitative Study on Sustainable Professional Learning Communities in Catholic Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Alexandra

2017-01-01

This qualitative study examined the elements of professional learning communities within Catholic elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate best practices of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as reported by elementary principals in a random sample of Catholic elementary schools. The researcher interviewed 14…

Challenging Orthodoxy: Problem Based Learning in Preservice Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackbourn, Joe M.; Bunch, Dennis; Fillingim, Jennifer; Thomas, Conn; Schillinger, Don; Dupree, Jeffery

2011-01-01

This article examines the viability of Problem Based Learning (PBL) in the training of teachers for the public schools. The shortcomings of traditional training and induction methods in preparing professional educators for the demands of the 21st Century schools is considered and the applicability of PBL in addressing these shortcomings is…

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.

Factors that influence acceptance of web-based e-learning systems for the in-service education of junior high school teachers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Hong-Ren; Tseng, Hsiao-Fen

2012-08-01

Web-based e-learning is not restricted by time or place and can provide teachers with a learning environment that is flexible and convenient, enabling them to efficiently learn, quickly develop their professional expertise, and advance professionally. Many research reports on web-based e-learning have neglected the role of the teacher's perspective in the acceptance of using web-based e-learning systems for in-service education. We distributed questionnaires to 402 junior high school teachers in central Taiwan. This study used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as our theoretical foundation and employed the Structure Equation Model (SEM) to examine factors that influenced intentions to use in-service training conducted through web-based e-learning. The results showed that motivation to use and Internet self-efficacy were significantly positively associated with behavioral intentions regarding the use of web-based e-learning for in-service training through the factors of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The factor of computer anxiety had a significantly negative effect on behavioral intentions toward web-based e-learning in-service training through the factor of perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness and motivation to use were the primary reasons for the acceptance by junior high school teachers of web-based e-learning systems for in-service training. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examining Teachers' Understanding of the Mathematical Learning Progression through Vertical Articulation during Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suh, Jennifer; Seshaiyer, Padmanabhan

2015-01-01

This study examines elementary- and middle-grade teachers' understanding of the mathematical learning progression as they participated in a 6-month professional learning project. Teachers participated in a professional development project that consisted of a 1-week summer content-focused institute with school-based follow-up Lesson Study cycles in…

A View of Professional Learning Communities through Three Frames: Leadership, Organization, and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullen, Carol A.; Schunk, Dale H.

2010-01-01

In this discussion of professional learning communities (PLCs) in North American public schools, we examine three theoretical frames--leadership, organization, and culture. Issues related to learning are infused throughout our presentation of the frames. Based on our analysis of the current literature on this topic, PLCs offer a promising tool for…

Implementing a New Model for Teachers' Professional Learning in Papua New Guinea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honan, Eileen; Evans, Terry; Muspratt, Sandy; Paraide, Patricia; Reta, Medi; Baroutsis, Aspa

2012-01-01

This article reports on a study that investigates the possibilities of developing a professional learning model based on action research that could lead to sustained improvements in teaching and learning in schools in remote areas of Papua New Guinea. The issues related to the implementation of this model are discussed using a critical lens that…

Challenges in adopting evidence-based school drug education programmes.

PubMed

Cahill, Helen W

2007-11-01

The paper discusses the school-based challenges that may moderate the implementation of evidence-based drug education in schools. Knowledge about what constitutes an effective evidence-based drug education programme is discussed in relation to the challenge of delivery in the school setting. Research demonstrates that drug education should be engaging, incorporate interactive learning strategies, stimulate higher-order thinking, promote learning and be transferable to real life circumstances. This may difficult to accomplish in practice, as a range of contextual challenges and ideological assumptions may moderate the teacher's capacity to deliver a programme of this nature. Collaborative learning strategies are not the norm in schools and therefore teachers may find interactive drug education programmes difficult to adopt. Conflicting ideological assumptions about effective epistemological approaches to drug education may also direct the way in which teachers modify programmes in the local context. Teachers need professional training and support if they are to adopt successfully evidence-based school drug education programmes. This support may be enhanced if it includes whole school approaches to effective pedagogy and the development of pro-social classroom environments. Drug education research should take account of the complexities of implementation in the school setting and investigate further the professional and organisational support that teachers require in order to maintain high-quality provision in the school context.

Adaptive Capacity in the Pacific Region: A Study of Continuous Professional Development for In-Service Teachers in Kiribati

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Tess; Thomson, Ian

2018-01-01

This study of I-Kiribati secondary school teachers used a project-based approach to investigate the notions of school-based and collaborative learning as a suitable model for in-service teacher continuous professional development (CPD). The design and methodology adopted by the study framed the argument that since collaborative behavior is…

A model of professional competences in mathematics to update mathematical and didactic knowledge of teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz, Verónica; Poblete, Alvaro

2017-07-01

This paper describes part of a research and development project carried out in public elementary schools. Its objective was to update the mathematical and didactic knowledge of teachers in two consecutive levels in urban and rural public schools of Region de Los Lagos and Region de Los Rios of southern Chile. To that effect, and by means of an advanced training project based on a professional competences model, didactic interventions based on types of problems and types of mathematical competences with analysis of contents and learning assessment were designed. The teachers' competence regarding the didactic strategy used and its results, as well as the students' learning achievements are specified. The project made possible to validate a strategy of lifelong improvement in mathematics, based on the professional competences of teachers and their didactic transposition in the classroom, as an alternative to consolidate learning in areas considered vulnerable in two regions of the country.

Supporting Creativity, Inclusion and Collaborative Multi-Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, John M.

2013-01-01

This article connects arguments in the field of integrated and multi-professional working concerning the need to promote a strengths-based approach to children, childhood and children's services with writing about creativity in schooling. It utilizes strength-based and social justice approaches to encourage professionals who work with children and…

Geoscience Education Research, Development, and Practice at Arizona State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semken, S. C.; Reynolds, S. J.; Johnson, J.; Baker, D. R.; Luft, J.; Middleton, J.

2009-12-01

Geoscience education research and professional development thrive in an authentically trans-disciplinary environment at Arizona State University (ASU), benefiting from a long history of mutual professional respect and collaboration among STEM disciplinary researchers and STEM education researchers--many of whom hold national and international stature. Earth science education majors (pre-service teachers), geoscience-education graduate students, and practicing STEM teachers richly benefit from this interaction, which includes team teaching of methods and research courses, joint mentoring of graduate students, and collaboration on professional development projects and externally funded research. The geologically, culturally, and historically rich Southwest offers a superb setting for studies of formal and informal teaching and learning, and ASU graduates the most STEM teachers of any university in the region. Research on geoscience teaching and learning at ASU is primarily conducted by three geoscience faculty in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and three science-education faculty in the Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education. Additional collaborators are based in the College of Teacher Education and Leadership, other STEM schools and departments, and the Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (CRESMET). Funding sources include NSF, NASA, US Dept Ed, Arizona Board of Regents, and corporations such as Resolution Copper. Current areas of active research at ASU include: Visualization in geoscience learning; Place attachment and sense of place in geoscience learning; Affective domain in geoscience learning; Culturally based differences in geoscience concepts; Use of annotated concept sketches in learning, teaching, and assessment; Student interactions with textbooks in introductory courses; Strategic recruitment and retention of secondary-school Earth science teachers; Research-based professional development for STEM teachers; Design and evaluation of innovative transdisciplinary and online curricula; and Visitor cognition of geologic time and basic principles in Southwestern National Parks.

Affordances of Teacher Professional Learning in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Admiraal, Wilfried; Kruiter, Joke; Lockhorst, Ditte; Schenke, Wouter; Sligte, Henk; Smit, Ben; Tigelaar, Dineke; de Wit, Walter

2016-01-01

It is commonly understood that teachers in secondary school should develop throughout their career in order to stay as an essential factor in student learning. Schools can offer opportunities to link teachers' professional learning to their school practice with a positive impact on teachers' motivation to learn and the effectiveness of their…

Learning about Makerspaces: Professional Development with K-12 Inservice Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Lana; Scharber, Cassandra

2018-01-01

Makerspaces are the latest educational movement that may disrupt the "grammar of schooling." Makerspaces may change the ways schools use technology; change the ways schools engage in learning and teaching; and change the forms of learning that count in schools. However, without deliberate professional learning and planning, the glamor of…

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…

Elementary School Teacher and Principal Perceptions of the Principal's Leadership Role in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillery, Patricia L.

2013-01-01

As school districts' professional development trends shift to meet annual budget requirements, it is worthy to explore the benefits of professional learning communities as they are a potential means for job-embedded professional development. As an advocate for professional learning, Hirsh (2009) stated that every teacher should engage in…

Road Trip: Journey to Improvement Takes Twists and Turns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perconti, Ellen S.

2010-01-01

The Lewiston (Idaho) School District's picture of optimal professional learning is changing from one-shot, sit-and-get style workshops to learning with the expectation of implementation. The district, which serves approximately 4,950 students, has developed and is implementing a professional development model based on continuous improvement,…

Principal Leadership of Data Team Protocols within a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambers, Charmelle

2014-01-01

The following document represents a Problem Based Learning Project (PBL) focusing on school leadership practices leading to increased student achievement. Current research findings indicate effective principals recognize the importance of building teacher capacity through promoting collaborative team work. School principals effectively leading…

The Bottom Line on Excellence: A Guide to Investing in Professional Learning that Increases Educator Performance and Student Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killion, Joellen; Hirsh, Stephanie

2012-01-01

What percentage of their budgets should schools and districts invest in professional learning? To answer that question, schools and districts must first know how much they are spending on professional learning and be able to connect that spending to student achievement. Knowing what is invested in professional learning requires understanding the…

How Do Professional Learning Communities Aid and Hamper Professional Learning of Beginning Teachers Related to Differentiated Instruction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Neve, Debbie; Devos, Geert

2017-01-01

Research has shown that adequate support from the school environment is necessary to help beginning teachers in applying differentiated instruction (DI), but how schools can aid in this process remains unclear. This qualitative study explores how professional learning communities (PLCs), an indicator of a supportive school environment, can enhance…

841 Square Miles of Commitment: Districtwide Plan Makes Professional Learning a Priority

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slabine, Nancy Ames

2012-01-01

Without adequate time and resources, it is impossible for school districts and schools to support professional learning that leads to effective teaching practices, supportive leadership, and improved student results. That's why one of the seven new standards in Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning focuses specifically on…

An Argument Everyone Wins: Shared Learning Unites Teachers across Schools and Grade Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Lauren; Siegel, Brad; Goldberg, Gravity

2015-01-01

The three authors of this article--a K-12 regional director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment responsible for orchestrating professional learning, a high school English teacher who participated in the professional learning, and an independent literacy consultant who supports four districts' professional learning--share their experiences…

Professional Learning Community Process in the United States: Conceptualization of the Process and District Support for Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olivier, Dianne F.; Huffman, Jane B.

2016-01-01

As the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process becomes embedded within schools, the level of district support has a direct impact on whether schools have the ability to re-culture and sustain highly effective collaborative practices. The purpose of this article is to share a professional learning community conceptual framework from the US,…

Elementary teachers' perceptions of science inquiry and professional development challenges and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Kathleen M.

Inquiry science, including a focus on evidence-based discourse, is essential to spark interest in science education in the early grades and maintain that interest throughout children's schooling. The researcher was interested in two broad areas: inquiry science in the elementary classroom and the need/desire for professional development opportunities for elementary teachers related to science education, and specifically professional development focused on inquiry science. A cross sectional survey design was prepared and distributed in May 2005 and usable responses were received from 228 elementary teachers from the south-central area of Pennsylvania which was a representative sample of socio-economical and geographical factors. Areas of particular interest in the results section include: (1) The use of Science Kits which is popular, but may not have the desired impact since they are "adjusted" by teachers often removing the opportunity for evidence-based discourse by the students. This may be partly based on the lack of time dedicated to science instruction and, secondly, the teachers' lack of comfort with the science topics. Another issue arising from science kits is the amount of preparation time required to utilize them. (2) Teachers demonstrated understanding of the high qualities of professional development but, when it came to science content professional development, they were more inclined to opt for short-term opportunities as opposed to long-term learning opportunities. Since elementary teachers are generalists and most schools are not focusing on science, the lack of attention to a subject where they are least comfortable is understandable, but disappointing. (3) There is a great need for more training in evidence--based discourse so teachers can implement this needed skill and increase students' understanding of science content so they are more able to compete in the international science and math measurements. (4) Professional development, especially in the science area, needs to be a long-term, grass-roots effort in all schools. We need to dedicate funding, and make time available for teachers to participate in long-term collaborative learning opportunities. Teachers want to observe each other and collaborate on lessons but, unless it becomes a priority of the school, it will not happen. Time must be dedicated throughout the day that allows small groups of teachers across the board to get together and share, learn, attempt new approaches, reflect and revise. Various forms of professional learning are available, and each school must choose the one that works for them. (5) The principal as the educational leader in the school needs to be more fully engaged with the learning process of the teachers and the students. The principal should not be viewed only as the evaluator of teachers, but as a collaborator of learning and teaching. Suggestions for further research include longitudinal studies of the impact on students of long term professional development of the teachers that specifically targets science content, inquiry and evidence--based discourse.

Pathways to Professional Growth: Investigating Upper Primary School Teachers' Perspectives on Learning to Teach Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkie, Karina J.; Clarke, Doug

2015-01-01

This paper discusses upper primary school teachers' perspectives on changes to their knowledge and practice through participation in a design-based research project. It analyses their experiences using Clarke and Hollingsworth's (2002) empirically-founded model for professional growth to understand more about the mechanisms for change that might…

Teacher Professional Development for Technology Integration in a Primary School Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Shih-Hsiung

2013-01-01

Teacher professional development (TPD) can benefit teachers in classrooms. This study contributes to an understanding of TPD processes where there is sufficient technology integration through teacher participation in a school-based community. It assesses the effectiveness of TPD and its potential problems. Qualitative research methods are used to…

Investigating Technology-Enhanced Teacher Professional Development in Rural, High-Poverty Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchard, Margaret R.; LePrevost, Catherine E.; Tolin, A. Dell; Gutierrez, Kristie S.

2016-01-01

This 3-year, mixed-methods study investigated the effects of teacher technology-enhanced professional development (TPD) on 20 teachers' beliefs and practices. Teachers in two middle schools located in neighboring rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern United States participated in reform-based lessons and learned how to integrate…

Barriers to Change: Findings from Three Literacy Professional Learning Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Allison Ward; Parsons, Seth A.; Morewood, Aimee; Ankrum, Julie W.

2016-01-01

In this article, we describe lessons learned from three separate literacy professional learning initiatives that took place in elementary schools in three different locations: high-poverty urban, medium-poverty rural, and low-poverty suburban. The professional learning initiatives were also diverse in scope: one was a three-year, school-wide…

Professional Learning Communities and the Degree of Teamness in Riverside County High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Benjamin A.

2013-01-01

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference in the degree of teamness in high school teams whose schools have strong evidence of the five dimensions of a Professional Learning Community, compared to high school teams in schools that do not have strong evidence of the five dimensions of a Professional Learning…

Professional Learning among School Leaders in Secondary Education: The Impact of Personal and Work Context Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Veelen, Ruth; Sleegers, Peter J. C.; Endedijk, Maaike D.

2017-01-01

Purpose: School leadership is fundamental in efforts to successfully implement school reform and improve student and teacher learning. Although there is an abundant amount of research on school leaders' formal training, assessment, and practice, little is known about their informal professional learning. In other words, how do school leaders learn…

Teachers and Students Together in a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wennergren, Ann-Christine; Blossing, Ulf

2017-01-01

Students represent the majority of the people in a school organisation, but are rarely considered as participants in literature on professional learning communities (PLC). This article explored a PLC with the legitimate participation of students in the classroom. Data was based on interviews with 11 teachers. Community of practice theory provides…

The Curriculum Workshop: A Place for Deliberative Inquiry and Teacher Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Klaus-Henning

2008-01-01

In this article, the curriculum workshop (CW) is elaborated as an approach to professional learning, deliberation and inquiry. It offers a comprehensive framework for school-based deliberation and inquiry, is rooted in curriculum theory, promises a broad range of applications in teacher education and provides tools to assess the trustworthiness of…

Fostering Lifelong Learning--Evaluation of a Teacher Education Program for Professional Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finsterwald, Monika; Wagner, Petra; Schober, Barbara; Luftenegger, Marko; Spiel, Christiane

2013-01-01

Modern economics has placed lifelong learning (LLL) at the center of an intensive ongoing political debate. Evidenced-based interventions are needed, not only in continuing education courses for teachers, but also in schools. This paper introduces evaluation results of TALK, a teacher education program for professional teachers with the objective…

Food Allergy Training for Schools and Restaurants (The Food Allergy Community Program): Protocol to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Web-Based Program.

PubMed

Pádua, Inês; Moreira, André; Moreira, Pedro; Barros, Renata

2018-06-12

Food allergy is a growing public health concern. The literature suggests that a significant number of reactions occur in community services, such as schools and restaurants. Therefore, suitable training and education for education and catering professionals using viable and practical tools is needed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based food allergy training program for professionals working in schools and restaurants, designed to improve knowledge and good practices in the community. Free learning programs which contain educational animated videos about food allergy were developed for professionals working at schools and restaurants. The learning programs comprise of nine 5-minute videos, developed in video animation format using GoAnimate, with a total course length of 45-60 minutes. The courses for professionals at both schools and restaurants include contents about food allergy epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment, dietary avoidance, emergencies, labelling, and accidental exposure prevention. Additionally, specific topics for work practices at schools and restaurants were provided. Food allergy knowledge survey tools were developed to access the knowledge and management skills about food allergy of school and restaurant staff, at baseline and at the end of the food allergy program. The courses will be provided on the e-learning platform of the University of Porto and professionals from catering and education sectors will be invited to participate. Data collection will take place between September 2017 and October 2017, corresponding to a 2-month intervention. Final results will be disseminated in scientific journals and presented at national and international conferences. The Food Allergy Community Program intervention may improve school and restaurant professionals' commitment and skills to deal with food allergy in the community. Furthermore, this e-intervention program will provide an innovative contribution to understanding the impact of electronic health technologies on the learning process and the development of strategies for community interventions. RR1-10.2196/9770. ©Inês Pádua, André Moreira, Pedro Moreira, Renata Barros. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 12.06.2018.

Professional Learning Experiences and Administrator Practice: Is There a Connection?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickmore, Dana L.

2012-01-01

This study identified the formal and informal professional learning experiences in which school administrators engaged and the relationship between these professional learning experiences and administrator practice. The researcher developed an instrument that solicited school administrators' engagement and perceived value of formal and informal…

Making Visual Arts Learning Visible in a Generalist Elementary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Susan; Watkins, Marnee; Grant, Gina

2017-01-01

This article presents the story of one elementary school teacher's shift in art praxis through her involvement in a research project aimed at facilitating participatory arts-based communities of practice. Qualitative methods and social constructivism informed Professional Learning Interventions (PLIs) involving: (1) a visual arts workshop, (2)…

Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of service-learning through a school-based community project.

PubMed

Bassi, Sherry

2011-01-01

Service-learning (SL) is an experiential teaching method that combines instruction with community service, with the aim of enriching students' academic learning, interpersonal skills and sense of responsibility while making meaningful contributions to the community. However, measuring outcomes of service-learning projects is difficult. This article reports on the perceptions of 18 third-year undergraduate nursing students who took part in a pilot service-learning project targeting tobacco use in a local elementary school. Faculty members evaluated the program's outcomes by engaging students in structured reflection on the program about its relevance to their future careers as practicing professionals, especially in community-based settings. The students' perceptions were elicited through three sets of reflective assignments following the project. Findings from the reflective assignments suggest that the pilot program was successful in enhancing the students' academic, social, and personal development while building a partnership between the school of nursing and key players in the community, including school-based nurses, teachers, administrators, families, and community leaders. The author suggests that service-learning projects can help nursing students accomplish key developmental tasks of the college years (such as building their competence, autonomy, and integrity), while helping impart the skills and values they will need as they graduate and seek professional nursing roles.

Developing a Psychology of Learning in the Field: Pre-service Mentoring of At-Risk Middle School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, Virginia

This narrative recounts the process of developing and implementing a field component in a preservice course on the psychology of teaching and learning at a large urban school of education. The professional development model of integrated school reform was used as a theoretical base. The field component of the course had two strands: reflective…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2016-01-01

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

Rational Thinking in School-Based Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Mary Kristen; Flynn, Perry

2011-01-01

Purpose: We reflect on Alan Kamhi's (2011) prologue on balancing certainty and uncertainty as it pertains to school-based practice. Method: In schools, rational thinking depends on effective team processes, much like professional learning communities. We consider the conditions that are required for rational thinking and how rational team dialogue…

The Place of Social Learning and Social Movement in Transformative Learning: A Case Study of Sustainability Schools in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westoby, Peter; Lyons, Kristen

2017-01-01

This article analyses the sustainability school (SS) program of the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), Uganda. The focus is on how the social network, enabled by the SS program, fosters social and transformative learning. The significance of this approach to community-based education for social change, including in the…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a Means for School-Based Science Curriculum Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, Christi L.

The challenge of school-based science curriculum change and educational reform is often presented to science teachers and departments who are not necessarily prepared for the complexity of considerations that change movements require. The development of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on a science department's curriculum change efforts, may provide the necessary tools to foster sustainable school-based curriculum science changes. This research presents a case study of an evolving science department PLC consisting of 10 middle school science teachers from the same middle school and their efforts of school-based science curriculum change. A transformative mixed model case study with qualitative data and deepened by quantitative analysis, was chosen to guide the investigation. Collected data worked to document the essential developmental steps, the occurrence and frequency of the five essential dimensions of successful PLCs, and the influences the science department PLC had on the middle school science department's progression through school-based science curriculum change, and the barriers, struggles and inhibiting actions of the science department PLC. Findings indicated that a science department PLC was unique in that it allowed for a focal science departmental lens of science curriculum change to be applied to the structure and function of the PLC and therefore the process, proceedings, and results were directly aligned to and driven by the science department. The science PLC, while logically difficult to set-up and maintain, became a professional science forum where the middle school science teachers were exposed to new science teaching and learning knowledge, explored new science standards, discussed effects on student science learning, designed and critically analyzed science curriculum change application. Conclusions resulted in the science department PLC as an identified tool providing the ability for science departmental actions to lead to outcomes of science curriculum change improvements with the consideration but not the dictation of the larger school community and state agendas. Thus, the study's results work to fuse previously separated research on general PLCs and curriculum change efforts into a cohesive understanding of the unexplored potential of a science PLC and school-based science curriculum change.

Exploring the Relation between Teachers' Perceptions of Workplace Conditions and Their Professional Learning Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2017-01-01

Schools' structural workplace conditions (e.g. learning resources and professional development policies) and cultural workplace conditions (e.g. school leadership, teachers' collaborative culture) have been found to affect the way teachers learn. It is not so much the objective conditions that support or impede professional learning but the way…

Implementing Professional Learning Communities in Small High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eichelkraut, Jeff P.

2017-01-01

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are collaborative teacher groups that focus on learning and continual improvement. Establishing PLCs can be a challenging endeavor, especially in smaller schools. Smaller schools employ fewer staff members, limiting opportunities for collaboration. This dissertation examined the implementation of PLCs in…

Evaluating the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities over Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monceaux, Matthew C.

2017-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have become a popular reform initiative for schools looking to increase student achievement. School district officials can find it difficult to implement and sustain Professional Learning Communities as some teachers are not accustomed to the levels of collaboration with peers involved. If implemented and…

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.

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…

Learning to Lead Reading Comprehension Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silver, Rita Elaine; Png, Jessie

2016-01-01

In this article, we describe and reflect on a collaborative, school-based professional development project (an "intervention") intended to encourage innovation in classroom teaching. Specifically, the intervention included a collaboration between university-based researchers/mentors and primary school teachers in Singapore who were…

Critiquing Teacher Professional Development: Teacher Learning within the Field of Teachers' Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardy, Ian

2010-01-01

This study is an empirical account of the professional development (PD) practices that constituted part of the work of a group of teachers and school-based administrators working together in a cluster of six schools in southeast Queensland, Australia, during a period of intense educational reform. The data comprise meeting transcripts and…

A Study of the Vestiges of Studio Classroom Projects in Two Middle School Mathematics Departments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordquist, Lora

2010-01-01

Lesson study, a form of school-based professional development widely practiced in Japan, has gained popularity in the United States over the last two decades. However, research on its effectiveness has been limited in scope, typically conducted shortly after the conclusion of the professional learning and focused primarily on the practices of…

Building Professional Learning Communities in Special Education through Social Networking: Directions for Future Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardman, Elizabeth L.

2011-01-01

This paper examines the challenges inherent in building professional learning communities (PLCs) in special education and describes how two Web 2.0 tools were used to build a community that engages general and special education teachers, school administrators, and teacher educators in implementing research based inclusive practices that are known…

Professional Learning for Teaching Assistants and Its Effect on Classroom Roles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurst, Chris; Sparrow, Len

2012-01-01

The Swan Valley Cluster of schools for the Make It Count project identified the professional learning of teachers and teaching assistants as a key factor in improving numeracy outcomes for urban Indigenous children. Initial training for assistants began in late 2010 and took the form of workshops based on a modified First Steps in Mathematics…

Empowering Students to Write and Re-Write: Standards-Based Strategies for Middle and High School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Combs, Warren E.

2009-01-01

In this book, the author provides teachers with detailed strategies and lesson plans, along with real student writing samples. He describes effective routines of formative self-assessment, and shows teachers how to form a professional learning team with their colleagues using the 6-session professional learning guide. Contents include: (1)…

Professional Development and Learning by General Teachers Implementing Functional Behavioural Assessment in Thai Inclusive Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opartkiattikul, Watinee; Arthur-Kelly, Michael; Dempsey, Ian

2016-01-01

Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA) is identified as a research-based approach used in many Western schools to support student behaviour. This study aimed to assist Thai classroom teachers by providing a professional development and learning programme in FBA to develop an effective and efficient process to address behaviour problems and allow…

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,…

Promoting the Role of Occupational Therapy in School-Based Collaboration: Outcome Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christner, Andrea

2015-01-01

This evidence-based project provided a professional development opportunity for educators to enhance the awareness of school-based occupational therapy and promote a collaborative approach when supporting student participation in daily learning tasks. Through asynchronous web-based delivery, participants viewed five narrated PowerPoint…

Mathematics Pedagogical Standards: A Suggested Model of Instruction in Enhancing the Mathematics Teacher’s Quality of Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad, N. S.; Jemali, M.; Zakaria, Z. Hj; Yusof, Q.

2018-01-01

The paper aims at identifying the standards for teaching and learning of mathematics based on National Council of Teacher of Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT, 2006) and Training and Development Agency for School (TDA, 2007). These known standards were used as a guide in identifying the constructs of the mathematics teacher’s instruction in the classroom. The survey method used in which a questionnaire instrument encompassed on the four identified constructs on the standards for teaching and learning of mathematics, namely professional practices, professional attributes, professional knowledge, and professional instructional processes. The instrument was tested during a pilot study and a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability index of greater than 0.85 was obtained. The actual research was carried out in Peninsular Malaysia involving 224 secondary schools with 1.120 mathematics teachers and 108 primary schools with 540 mathematics teachers. From the selected schools, only 820 secondary mathematics teachers (73.2%) and 361 primary teachers (66.9%) gave a response to the mailed questionnaires. The findings of the study revealed that the secondary and primary mathematics teachers strongly agreed on three constructs; professional practices, professional attributes and professional instructional processes.

Multiple Learning Approaches in the Professional Development of School Leaders -- Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Findings on Self-assessment and Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huber, Stephan Gerhard

2013-01-01

This article investigates the use of multiple learning approaches and different modes and types of learning in the (continuous) professional development (PD) of school leaders, particularly the use of self-assessment and feedback. First, formats and multiple approaches to professional learning are described. Second, a possible approach to…

Mapping the Terrain of Teachers' Professional Lives in Moving Landscapes and Shifting Identities: An Inquiry into a Literacy Coach's Interaction with Title I Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chawla, Santosh

2017-01-01

This study examined how the professional development initiative of Reading Apprenticeship (RA), which included the support of a school-based literacy coach, impacted two high school Title I teachers and their students. In the field of education, much is known about the qualities of professional development which lead to improved learning on the…

Problem-Based Learning: Instructor Characteristics, Competencies, and Professional Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

cognitive learning objectives addressed by student -centered instruction . For instance, experiential learning , a variation of which is used at the...based learning in grade school science or mathematics . However, the measures could be modified to focus on adult PBL (or student -centered learning ... student -centered learning methods, the findings should generalize across instructional methods of interest to the Army. Further research is required

The Slippery Slope to Efficiency? An Australian Perspective on School/University Partnerships for Teacher Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mockler, Nicole

2013-01-01

Large-scale school/university partnerships for the enhancement of teacher professionalism and teacher professional learning have been part of the teacher development landscape in Australia for the past two decades. This paper takes a historical perspective on Australian school/university partnerships through detailing three national projects over…

Develop a Professional Learning Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Staff Development, 2013

2013-01-01

A professional learning plan establishes short-and long-term plans for professional learning and implementation of the learning. Such plans guide individuals, schools, districts, and states in coordinating learning experiences designed to achieve outcomes for educators and students. Professional learning plans focus on the program of educator…

Literacy Training in an Urban High School Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross-Norris, Vicki

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of professional learning experiences shared by teachers who participated in a professional learning community (PLC) at a New York City high school in the South Bronx. Guided by Hord's PLC characteristics and Bruner's constructivism theories, this phenomenological study addressed the research…

The Dynamics of Team Characteristics within Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morr, Shelly D.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if Professional Learning Communities in elementary schools that have strong evidence of the five dimensions of a Professional Learning Community have a higher degree of teamness than those schools that do not have strong evidence. Methodology: Using a descriptive and ex post facto study, the…

Whole School English Learner Reform: A Heuristic Approach to Professional Learning in Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plough, Bobbie; Garcia, Ray

2015-01-01

This work highlights a heuristic model for professional learning while examining the implementation of a reform initiative. The researchers used longitudinal data collected from surveys to develop and fit a model of professional learning where patterns of interaction among teachers changed the discussion about English learner instruction. Data…

Beginning High School Teachers' Perceptions of Involvement in Professional Learning Communities and Its Impact on Teacher Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovett, Helen Tomlinson

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine beginning high school teachers' perceptions of involvement in Professional Learning Communities in southeastern North Carolina and to determine whether beginning teachers' perceptions of involvement in Professional Learning Communities influenced their decisions to move to another location, stay in…

Student & Family Assistance Programs and Services To Address Barriers to Learning. A Center Training Tutorial.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Univ., Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools.

Most school districts employ student support or "pupil services professionals," such as school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. These personnel perform services connected with mental health and psychosocial problems. The format usually is a combination of centrally based and school-based services. Amelioration of the full continuum…

Development to Learning: Semantic Shifts in Professional Autonomy and School Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2015-01-01

In the digital age, technology is playing an important role in changing the nature of professionalism. Newer forms of "professional learning" stand in contrast to more traditional forms of "professional development." The shifting paradigm has implications for school leaders in all contexts. This study sought to qualitatively…

Professional Development for Scaling Pedagogical Innovation in the Context of Game-Based Learning: Teacher Identity as Cornerstone in "Shifting" Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chee, Yam San; Mehrotra, Swati; Ong, Jing Chuan

2015-01-01

A dominant discourse on "scaling-up" small-scale innovations based on a limited number of successful classroom trials pervades the educational literature. We view this discourse as insensitive to the professional work of teachers and the human side of school change. Our research investigated how teacher professional development could be…

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…

Real-World Learning of Public Affairs and Environmental Journalism: Two Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedman, Eric; Poulson, David

2015-01-01

Traditionally, journalism majors gain professional experience before graduation through internships, part-time or summer jobs, and campus media. Those avenues are often insufficient to adequately prepare them for the professional workplace and professional standards. This essay explores two of a journalism school's practice-based programs that…

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…

Intellectual and Physical Shared Workspace: Professional Learning Communities and the Collaborative Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Daniel

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore shared workspace and professional learning community (PLC) interactions in schools. The collaborative culture and PLCs were parts of the school culture. The collaborative culture of each school was designed to ensure teachers share intellectual and physical contributions in learning to investigate…

Assessing the Change Process in Comprehensive High Schools Implementing Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaner, Robert G.

2009-01-01

Professional learning communities (PLC) have been identified as scaffolds that can facilitate, support, and sustain systemic change focused on improving student achievement. PLCs represent the application of the theoretical constructs of the learning organization within the framework of schools and school systems. Little is known about the change…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Niki; Rose, Ray

2007-01-01

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

Growing into Equity: Professional Learning and Personalization in High-Achieving Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleason, Sonia Caus; Gerzon, Nancy

2013-01-01

What makes a Title I school high-achieving, and what can we all learn from that experience? Professional learning and leadership that supports personalized instruction makes the difference, as captured in the ground-breaking research of authors Sonia Caus Gleason and Nancy Gerzon. This illuminating book shows how four outstanding schools are…

Does In-Service Professional Learning for High School Economics Teachers Improve Student Achievement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swinton, John R.; De Berry, Thomas; Scafidi, Benjamin; Woodard, Howard C.

2010-01-01

Education policy analysts and professional educators have called for more and better professional learning opportunities for in-service teachers, and for at least 30 years economists called for more content training for high school economics teachers. Using new data from all Georgia high school economics students, we assess the impact of…

The Impact of School Leadership on the Effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities and Employee Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Claudette M.

2017-01-01

Empirical research has suggested that professional learning communities (PLCs) and employee engagement have a positive impact on the school community, school culture, and academic achievement. Further research has postulated that school leadership is one of the most important ingredients in the success of schools. But do school leaders have any…

Revisiting Professional Learning Communities to Increase College Readiness: The Importance of Pedagogical Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bausmith, Jennifer Merriman; Barry, Carol

2011-01-01

For over a decade, professional learning communities (PLCs) have been touted as an effective way to build upon the knowledge and skills of experienced teachers, yet much of the evidence base is derived from self-reports by practitioners. Although several generations of school reform (the standards movement, No Child Left Behind, and now the Common…

A Unique Marine and Environmental Science Program for High School Teachers in Hawai'i: Professional Development, Teacher Confidence, and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivera, Malia Ana J.; Manning, Mackenzie M.; Krupp, David A.

2013-01-01

Hawai'i is a unique and special place to conduct environmental science inquiry through place based learning and scientific investigation. Here, we describe and evaluate a unique professional development program for science teachers in Hawai'i that integrates the traditional approach of providing training to improve content knowledge, with the…

The Effect of Face-to-Face versus Online Pedagogy-Based Professional Development on Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rock, Heidi Marie

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative retrospective causal-comparative study was to determine to what extent the form of professional development (face-to-face or online) or the level of instruction (elementary or high school) has on classroom teaching practices as measured by student learning outcomes. The first research question sought to determine…

Community and school mental health professionals' knowledge and use of evidence based substance use prevention programs.

PubMed

Evans, Steven W; Randy Koch, J; Brady, Christine; Meszaros, Peggy; Sadler, Joanna

2013-07-01

Youth with learning and behavioral problems are at elevated risk for substance use during adolescence. Although evidence-based substance use prevention and screening practices are described in the literature, the extent with which these are provided to these youth is unclear. Mental health professionals in schools and community mental health centers are in an ideal position to conduct substance use screening and prevention practices since they have frequent contact with this high risk group. In order to determine whether these mental health professionals were using evidence based substance use screening and prevention programs with these youth, we analyzed 345 completed surveys from mental health professionals in schools and community clinics throughout a mid-Atlantic state. Results indicated that a large portion of the respondents were unfamiliar with evidence based practices and they were infrequently used. Implications for the division of labor at schools and community mental health centers are discussed in relation to time allotment and priority for these procedures.

Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice: Framing Professional Development.

PubMed

Allen-Johnson, Ann

2017-05-01

The NASN Code of Ethics upholds that it is the responsibility of the school nurse to maintain competency and pursue personal and professional growth. Designing professional development activities that are relevant and support the needs of the school nurse can be a challenge. The Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice provides a model rooted in evidence-based standards of practice that can be utilized to assess an existing professional development program and identify gaps in learning opportunities. Nurse leaders can use the Framework for 21st Century Nursing Practice to provide a roadmap toward a professional development program that will be meaningful to school nurse staff, help restore or maintain joy in their practice, and allow them to achieve the goal of advancing the well-being, academic success, and lifelong achievement and health of students.

Professional Learning Community in Relation to School Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigurdardottir, Anna Kristin

2010-01-01

This is a study of schools as professional learning communities, defined by nine characteristics and their relationship with the schools' level of effectiveness. The study was conducted within three schools in Iceland. It was designed as a mixed methods study, conducted in two phases: a correlational study of survey data on schools as professional…

The Relationship between School Leadership and Professional Learning Communities in Thai Basic Education Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somprach, Kanokorn; Tang, Keow Ngang; Popoonsak, Pongtorn

2017-01-01

This study aimed to explore the role of essential leadership styles of school principals in encouraging teachers' participation in professional learning communities (PLCs) in basic education schools in northeastern Thailand. It aimed to identify the nine leadership styles practiced by school principals and teachers' participation in PLCs, and to…

Steeped in Study: Remote Canadian School District Approaches Professional Learning with a Passion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Joan

2005-01-01

Relationships and leadership, that, in a nutshell, is the vision of professional learning in the remote Northern Lights School Division in Alberta, Canada. This article describes the professional learning provided by Northern Lights, which has been building its capacity for teacher and leadership growth for more than 13 years. The division: (1)…

Professional Learning for a New English Curriculum: Catholic Education Melbourne Primary School Teachers and AusVELS English F-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albright, James; Knezevic, Lisa

2017-01-01

Teachers of subject English across Australia have been involved in a wide range of professional learning experiences to support implementation of the "Australian Curriculum: English" since its introduction in 2010. This article investigates the professional learning experienced by a small number of primary school teachers in two Catholic…

How we implemented an integrated professionalism curriculum to 2nd year medical students at the National University of Ireland Galway Medical School, with examples from students' final output.

PubMed

McNair, Antonia; Moran, Conor; McGrath, Erinn; Naqvi, Syed; Connolly, Claire; McKenna, Verna; Kropmans, Thomas

2011-01-01

Since the introduction of professionalism in medical curricula worldwide, little evidence has been published to exemplify good educational practice. The Medical school at the National University of Ireland Galway teaches professionalism in an interdisciplinary manner, integrating the learning objectives of health informatics, understanding health & illness in society, medical law and ethics. Students work in small groups on clinical cases. Enquiry-based learning is used as the teaching method following a few introductory lectures on specific objectives. Students present their work in the format of a scientific essay. The latter is assessed by a board of reviewers. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate evidence of excellent professional output and illustrate the benefits to a fully integrated professionalism curriculum.

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.

Documenting and Examining Practices in Creating Learning Communities: Exemplars and Non-Exemplars.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hipp, Kristine A.; Huffman, Jane B.

Though promising as an implement for school reform, few professional learning centers (PLCs) have turned the vision into reality. This paper looks at how PLCs develop and maintain momentum. It examines and documents efforts in schools actively engaged in creating PLCs based on Hord's model. Hord's model employs external change agents, or…

Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment at the End of the First Year: A 28-Medical School Collaborative.

PubMed

Skochelak, Susan E; Stansfield, R Brent; Dunham, Lisette; Dekhtyar, Michael; Gruppen, Larry D; Christianson, Charles; Filstead, William; Quirk, Mark

2016-09-01

Accreditation and professional organizations have recognized the importance of measuring medical students' perceptions of the learning environment, which influences well-being and professional competency development, to optimize professional development. This study was conducted to explore interactions between students' perceptions of the medical school learning environment, student demographic variables, and students' professional attributes of empathy, coping, tolerance of ambiguity, and patient-centeredness to provide ideas for improving the learning environment. Twenty-eight medical schools at 38 campuses recruited 4,664 entering medical students to participate in the two-cohort longitudinal study (2010-2014 or 2011-2015). The authors employed chi-square tests and analysis of variance to examine the relationship between Medical School Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) scores and student characteristics. The authors used mixed-effects models with random school and campus effects to test the overall variances accounted for in MSLES scores at the end of the first year of medical school. Student attributes and demographic characteristics differed significantly across schools but accounted for only 2.2% of the total variance in MSLES scores. Medical school campus explained 15.6% of the variance in MSLES scores. At year's end, students' perceptions toward the learning environment, as reported on the MSLES, differed significantly according to the medical school campus where they trained. Further studies are needed to identify specific factors, such as grading policies, administrative support, and existence of learning communities, which may influence perceptions of the learning environment at various schools. Identifying such variables would assist schools in developing a positive learning environment.

Exploring the Influence of Web-Based Portfolio Development on Learning To Teach Elementary Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avraamidou, Lucy; Zembal-Saul, Carla

This study examined how Web-based portfolio development supported reflective thinking and learning within a Professional Development School (PDS). It investigated the evidence-based philosophies developed by prospective teachers as a central part of the Web-based portfolio task, noting how technology contributed to the portfolio task. Participants…

Fostering Self-Reflection and Meaningful Learning: Earth Science Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monet, Julie A.; Etkina, Eugenia

2008-10-01

This paper describes the analysis of teachers’ journal reflections during an inquiry-based professional development program. As a part of their learning experience, participants reflected on what they learned and how they learned. Progress of subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge was assessed though surveys and pre- and posttests. We found that teachers have difficulties reflecting on their learning and posing meaningful questions. The teachers who could describe how they reasoned from evidence to understand a concept had the highest learning gains. In contrast those teachers who seldom or never described learning a concept by reasoning from evidence showed the smallest learning gains. This analysis suggests that learning to reflect on one’s learning should be an integral part of teachers’ professional development experiences.

The Relationship between Transformational Leadership Practices and Developing a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiestling, Troy L.

2010-01-01

This quantitative study investigated self-perception of elementary school principals' leadership practices and the impact of these practices on developing and fostering a professional learning community within their schools. Fifty-nine elementary school principals, from school districts located in south central Pennsylvania, participated in this…

Developing a Comparative Measure of the Learning Climate in Professional Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Donald D.; Kilmann, Ralph H.

1975-01-01

The Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ) compares the objective properties of schools with measures of overall student satisfaction. The validity of the instrument suggests its use for substantive research investigations into the organizational dynamics of professional schools. (Author/JR)

Learning from Educator Experiences in a Hawaiian School: Peak Professional Learning and A'O

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seto, Laurie U'ilani

2016-01-01

Due to rapid advancements in the world and shifting priorities at the school level, educators must keep abreast of current developments and how to continue to engage and challenge students in creative ways. This study examined the experiences 21 Kamehameha Schools educators indicated best support their professional learning to gain further…

An Analysis of Programs and Implementation of Professional Learning Communities in the Red Clay Consolidated School District with Recommendations for Future Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Kenneth L., Jr.

2012-01-01

During the 2010-2011 school year, schools throughout the Red Clay Consolidated School District were expected to implement Professional Learning Communities (PLCs); however, little to no guidance was provided to school-level administrators and teacher teams. Not surprisingly, many schools implemented team meetings that were not aligned with…

Effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities for Related Services Personnel: Nebraska School Psychologist Perceptions on Utilizing Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Grady, Ryan

2013-01-01

Schools continue to change in many ways. Technology, diversity, Response to Intervention (RtI), 21st Century Skills, and other initiatives warrant the need for continued professional development for all school staff. School psychologists play a key role in the school system and can bring significant contributions to the school team. School…

A Study on the Principal's Role in the Development of Professional Learning Communities in Elementary Schools that "Beat the Odds" in Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reimer, Tracy Lynn

2010-01-01

Current federal legislation, such as No Child Left Behind and The Race to the Top, have elicited high levels of accountability for increasing student reading achievement. Professional organizations and researchers encourage educators to organize schools into professional learning communities (PLCs) to improve student learning. Despite the…

Teacher Research in Secondary Education: Effects on Teachers' Professional and School Development, and Issues of Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meijer, Paulien C.; Oolbekkink, Helma W.; Meirink, Jacobiene A.; Lockhorst, Ditte

2013-01-01

This article describes an empirical exploration of three initiatives in which teachers in secondary education (learn to) research their own practice in collaboration with university-based research institutes, aiming at professional development and knowledge construction. We found evidence of professional development, mainly at the level of the…

Exploring the Influence of Web-Based Portfolio Development on Learning to Teach Elementary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avraamidou, Lucy; Zembal-Saul, Carla

2006-01-01

This qualitative case study examined web-based portfolio development in the service of supporting reflective thinking and learning within the innovative context of Professional Development Schools. Specifically, this study investigated the nature of the evidence-based philosophies developed by prospective teachers as the central part of the…

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…

Boundary Crossing in R&D Projects in Schools: Learning through Cross-Professional Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schenke, Wouter; van Driel, Jan; Geijsel, Femke P.; Volman, Monique L. L.

2017-01-01

Background/Context: School leaders, teachers, and researchers are increasingly involved in collaborative research and development (R&D) projects in schools, which encourage crossing boundaries between the fields of school and research. It is not clear, however, what and how professionals in these projects learn through cross-professional…

Mobile Technology in Hospital Schools: What Are Hospital Teachers' Professional Learning Needs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Aidan; Maor, Dorit; McConney, Andrew

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify hospital teachers' professional learning needs to enable effective use of mobile technology in hospital schools. Hospitalized students cannot attend their regular schools and as a result their educational progress and development can suffer. In an attempt to address this, hospital schools provide learning…

Two Dimensions of an Inquiry Stance toward Student-Learning Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Tamara Holmlund; Slavit, David; Deuel, Angie

2012-01-01

Background/Context: Schools and districts are increasingly emphasizing evidence-based decision making as a means for improving teaching and learning. In response, professional development efforts have shifted toward situated, sustained activities that involve groups of teachers in reflective inquiry about student learning data, instructional…

Lessons Learned from Transformational Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miranda, Twyla T.

2012-01-01

What is transformative professional development for educators? Ideally, teachers and school leaders are given multiple opportunities to revisit schemas about themselves and their learning communities, with the intent to transform practice, the school environment, and even themselves. In practice, three cohorts of teachers and school leaders…

Enlarging the STEM pipeline working with youth-serving organizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porro, I.

2005-12-01

The After-School Astronomy Project (ASAP) is a comprehensive initiative to promote the pursuit of science learning among underrepresented youth. To this end ASAP specifically aims at building the capacity of urban community-based centers to deliver innovative science out-of-school programming to their youth. ASAP makes use of a modular curriculum consisting of a combination of hands-on activities and youth-led explorations of the night sky using MicroObservatory. Through project-based investigations students reinforce learning in astronomy and develop an understanding of science as inquiry, while also develop communication and computer skills. Through MicroObservatory students gain access to a network of educational telescopes, that they control over the Internet, software analysis tools and an online community of users. An integral part of ASAP is to provide professional development opportunities for after-school workers. This promotes a self-sustainable implementation of ASAP long-term and fosters the creation of a cadre of after-school professionals dedicated to facilitating science-based programs.

Professional Development across the Teaching Career: Teachers' Uptake of Formal and Informal Learning Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richter, Dirk; Kunter, Mareike; Klusmann, Uta; Ludtke, Oliver; Baumert, Jurgen

2011-01-01

This study examined teachers' uptake of formal and informal learning opportunities across the career cycle. Analyses were based on data from 1939 German secondary teachers in 198 schools. Results showed that formal learning opportunities (in-service training) were used most frequently by mid-career teachers, whereas informal learning opportunities…

School and Library Media. Introduction; The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA): More Critical for Educators than Copyright Law?; Redefining Professional Growth: New Attitudes, New Tools--A Case Study; Diversity in School Library Media Center Resources; Image-Text Relationships in Web Pages; Aiming for Effective Student Learning in Web-Based Courses: Insights from Student Experiences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Mary Ann; Gregory, Vicki L.; Brock, Kathy; Bennett, Elizabeth; Chen, Shu-Hsien Lai; Marsh, Emily; Moore, Joi L.; Kim, Kyung-Sun; Esser, Linda R.

2002-01-01

Chapters in this section of "Educational Media and Technology Yearbook" examine important trends prominent in the landscape of the school library media profession in 2001. Themes include mandated educational reform; diversity in school library resources; communication through image-text juxtaposition in Web pages; and professional development and…

Identifying the Correlation between Professional Learning Communities and Collective Teacher Efficacy for Math Data Teams in Kaua'i Complex Area Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellwood, Cheryl Kathryn

2013-01-01

Professional learning communities and teacher efficacy are at the core of many of the current educational reform models. The intention of this dissertation was to identify the correlation between professional learning communities and collective teacher efficacy for math data teams in the six Kaua'i Complex Area secondary schools, as measured by…

Analyzing Principal Professional Development Practices through the Lens of Adult Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zepeda, Sally J.; Parylo, Oksana; Bengtson, Ed

2014-01-01

This qualitative study sought to identify current principal professional development practices in four school systems in Georgia and to examine them by applying the principles of adult learning theory. The cross-case analysis of principal professional development initiatives in four school districts revealed nine common practices: connecting…

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, Tara Eileen

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

Excellence in Arts Based Education--One School's Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Anne; Klopper, Christopher; Power, Bianca

2015-01-01

This article reports on the implementation and outcomes of a visual art pilot program undertaken at Connell State School in creative partnership with a research team from Griffith University's School of Education and Professional Studies. Employing a framework of the four lenses developed by Seidel et al. (2009)--(learning, pedagogy, community…

Continuous Professional Learning through School Based Strategic Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tytler, Russell

2007-01-01

There is ample evidence that in many countries school science is in difficulty, with declining student attitudes and uptake of science. This presentation argues that a key to addressing the problem lies in transforming teachers' classroom practice, and that pedagogical innovation is best supported within a school context. Evidence for effective…

Inquiry-based Science Instruction in High School Biology Courses: A Multiple Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aso, Eze

A lack of research exists about how secondary school science teachers use inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how science teachers used inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning in high school biology courses. The conceptual framework was based on Banchi and Bell's model of increasing levels of complexity for inquiry-based instruction. A multiple case study research design was conducted of biology programs at 3 high schools in an urban school district in the northeastern region of the United States. Participants included 2 biology teachers from each of the 3 high schools. Data were collected from individual interviews with biology teachers, observations of lessons in biology, and documents related to state standards, assessments, and professional development. The first level of data analysis involved coding and categorizing the interview and observation data. A content analysis was used for the documents. The second level of data analysis involved examining data across all sources and all cases for themes and discrepancies. According to study findings, biology teachers used confirmation, structure, and guided inquiry to improve student learning. However, they found open inquiry challenging and frustrating to implement because professional development about scaffolding of instruction over time was needed, and students' reading and writing skills needed to improve. This study contributes to positive social change by providing educators and researchers with a deeper understanding about how to scaffold levels of inquiry-based science instruction in order to help students become scientifically literate citizens.

Evaluation of a Professional Learning Community at One Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kochenour, Ruth Braddick

2010-01-01

Today's educational reform literature abounds with convincing testimonials of schools operating as professional learning communities. The model is highly sought but often misunderstood and shallowly applied. Although much evidence exists regarding the characteristics of effective learning communities, the literature review reveals a gap in the…

Invitational Learning for Counseling and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purkey, William W.; And Others

This monograph describes the theory and practice of the invitational learning model as it applies to school counseling and development. Invitational learning is a paradigm for personal and professional functioning, and for organizational restructuring, based on four values regarding the nature of people and their potential and the nature of…

Program Improvement Middle School Scripted and Nonscripted Program Teachers' Perception of Their School as a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bias, Timothy A.

2009-01-01

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to reveal differences between Program Improvement (PI) middle school scripted program and nonscripted program teachers' perceptions of their schools as professional learning communities (PLCs). The concept of PLCs is framed by Hord's (1997) 5 attributes of successful PLCs: supportive shared leadership, shared…

Building Sustainable Futures: Emerging Understandings of the Significant Contribution of the Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Dorothy; Lewis, Marian

2004-01-01

This article draws on the experiences of a range of Australian schools engaging with a teacher-centred process of whole-school renewal known as IDEAS (Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievement in Schools). IDEAS enhances the professional capacity of teachers to improve school outcomes such as student learning, relationships with the community,…

Education for Disability Equality through Disabled People's Life Stories and Narratives: Working and Learning Together in a School-Based Professional Development Programme for Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chrysostomou, Marianna; Symeonidou, Simoni

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the findings of an action research project that took place in a primary school in Cyprus. A professional development programme was devised with contributions from teachers involved in the research. The programme was aimed at helping teachers to map the difficulties they encounter when working with their students on…

Distance Learning for Teacher Professional Development in Statistics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2011-01-01

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

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…

Self-Directed Teacher Learning in Collaborative Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slavit, David; Roth McDuffie, Amy

2013-01-01

Two related case studies of secondary mathematics teachers examine the roles and conditions helpful in initiating, directing, and/or supporting teachers' own professional development. Using multiple data sources from school-based and professional settings, we applied analytic induction to identify patterns of similarities and differences in…

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…

Task Relevance in the Design of Online Professional Development for Teachers of ELLs: A Q Methodology Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Linda J.; Liang, Xin

2014-01-01

Online professional development (oPD) for teachers should focus on designing web-based learning opportunities that help practicing educators solve the tough problems of practice when working in their schools. Technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge can be integrated in the design of online professional development modules to enhance task…

Secondary science teachers' view toward and classroom translation of sustained professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Elizabeth Blake

This study concerns the phenomenon of secondary science teacher learning and enacting instructional strategies learned at the Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) teacher professional development events, as well as teacher perception of, and relationship to, this year-long professional development program. The CISIP program teaches science teachers how to build scientific classroom discourse communities with their students. Some of the science teachers were previous participants in the professional development, and acted as mentor teachers. The research design employed an integrated conceptual framework of situated learning theory with an analytical lens of teachers' professional, institutional and affinity, identities. A multi-method approach was used to generate data. Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, the teachers' fidelity to the professional development model was measured using a classroom observation instrument aligned with the professional development model. From these observation data a longitudinal model, using hierarchical linear modeling, was constructed. In addition, surveys and interview data were used to construct both whole group and case studies of two high school science teachers who taught biology at the same school. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between previous and new participants; specifically, the longer teachers had participated in the professional development, and adopted a mentorship role, the greater their fidelity of classroom instruction to the CISIP model. Additionally, the case study teacher who developed a CISIP model-aligned affinity identity implemented more of the instructional strategies than the teacher who maintained his school-based institutional identity.

A Professional Development School Staff's Perceptions of Actual and Preferred Learning Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiley, Therese J.; Jensen, Rita A.

A study assessed the teaching/learning environment of one professional development school in a variety of ways that included a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Results were analyzed using the eight scales of the "School Level Environment Questionnaire" (SLEQ) as categories: Student Support, Affiliation, Professional…

Sustaining Professional Learning Communities through Teacher Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennings, Karen

2013-01-01

Professional learning communities (PLCs), with their attributes of shared values, high expectations, and collaboration, have the potential to change school culture. The 4 elementary schools in this study have been unable to sustain ongoing, effective teamwork, resulting in a failure to attain adequate progress, and in 2 schools, in the placement…

Professional Learning for Cultural Mathematics in Papua New Guinea's Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Kay; Edmonds-Wathen, Cris; Kravia, Geori; Sakopa, Priscilla

2014-01-01

A design of principles for teacher professional learning was developed to improve the teaching of "Cultural Mathematics" in elementary schools in Papua New Guinea. The design's appropriateness for PNG elementary schools is the focus of the research implemented through week-long workshops using technology enhancement. Implementation has…

The Solution Is in the Room

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spangler, Donna

2017-01-01

This article discusses factors to consider as we evaluate the professional learning occurring in our schools. The article describes how a committee of six teachers and one administrator at Hershey Middle School in Pennsylvania's Derry Township School District adapted an activity for use in a two-hour professional learning session called "The…

Teachers' Professional Learning: The Role of Knowledge Management Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niehoff, Karissa

2010-01-01

This qualitative study explored the degree to which knowledge management strategies addressed teacher professional learning at the high school level. In the setting of a Connecticut public high school, interviews were conducted which explored teacher perceptions of knowledge sharing practices in the school and how those practices influenced their…

Building up STEM education professional learning community in school setting: Case of Khon Kaen Wittayayon School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thana, Aduldej; Siripun, Kulpatsorn; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

The STEM education is new issue of teaching and learning in school setting. Building up STEM education professional learning community may provide some suggestions for further collaborative work of STEM Education from grounded up. This paper aimed to clarify the building up STEM education learning community in Khon Kaen Wittayayon (KKW) School setting. Participants included Khon Kaen University researchers, Khon Kaen Wittayayon School administrators and teachers. Methodology regarded interpretative paradigm. The tools of interpretation included participant observation, interview and document analysis. Data was analyzed to categories of condition for building up STEM education professional learning community. The findings revealed that the actions of developing STEM learning activities and research showed some issues of KKW STEM community of inquiry and improvement. The paper will discuss what and how the community learns about sharing vision of STEM Education, supportive physical and social conditions of KKW, sharing activities of STEM, and good things from some key STEM teachers' ambition. The paper may has implication of supporting STEM education in Thailand school setting.

Developing a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrera, Charmaine M.

2012-01-01

Professional Learning Communties (PLCs) school reform movement that is grounded in decades of research. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether or not a PLC would help in cultivating a culture of learning and collaboration at a small charter school in Delaware. The research involved interviews of teachers, administrators and a data…

Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hord, Shirley M.

Effective school restructuring requires teacher motivation and action to transform knowledge about change into reality. This paper defines and describes what is meant by "professional learning community"; describes what happens when a school staff studies, works, plans, and takes action collectively on behalf of increased learning for…

Supporting Diverse Learners through Professional Learning for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winnen, Ashley Newman

2016-01-01

School leaders use professional learning practices as a strategy to improve teaching and therefore student learning. As student populations become more ethnically and socioeconomically diverse, teachers need ongoing training to meet the needs of today's students. One successful elementary school in Colorado was the focus of this case study…

Investigating the Effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities in South Florida Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Renata Pessoa

2017-01-01

This applied dissertation was designed to verify the effectiveness of professional learning communities (PLC), as it relates to the participation of administrators and teachers. Prior studies have emphasized the importance of continuing learning experiences for school administrators while working. Chiptin (2013) pointed out the importance of a…

Professional Learning Communities Facilitator's Guide Handouts for the What Works Clearinghouse™ Practice Guide: Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School. REL 2015-105

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimino, Joseph A.; Taylor, Mary Jo; Morris, Joan

2015-01-01

These handouts, which are meant to accompany the facilitator's guide, are designed to assist professional learning communities (PLCs) in applying evidence-based strategies to help K-8 English learners acquire the language and literacy skills needed to succeed academically. The facilitator's guide uses a five-step process for collaborative…

School-Based Learning for Individual Diversity in Education: The SLIDE Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrington, Ingrid

2013-01-01

Whole-School Professional Development (PD) days held regularly in schools are designed to promote and up-skill school staff on relevant areas of educational policy and practice. An aim of PD days is to empower participants with new knowledges and skills, and to confirm that current practices and interpretations of education policy and procedure…

School-Based Teacher Collaboration in Sweden and Greece: Formal Cooperation, Deprivatized Practices and Personalized Interaction in Primary and Lower Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kougioumtzis, Konstantin; Patriksson, Goran

2009-01-01

During recent years, educational restructuring efforts have commonly regarded schools as both learning communities and sites for teachers' professional development. A plethora of attributes influence prerequisites as well as outcomes of the efforts, while teachers' local cultures constitute a cornerstone. More specifically, enhanced school-based…

Professional Learning Communities: Do Leadership Practices Impact Implementation and Sustainability and What Is the Relationship between a School's PLC and a School's Climate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Theresa

2010-01-01

Research indicates that a theoretical framework known as a professional learning community can make a positive difference in schools. This mixed-method study examines teacher perceptions of school leadership and climate in two rural elementary schools in South Carolina. Using interviews, focus group sessions and a survey, the researcher answers…

The Value of Collaborative Rounds for Teacher Professional Learning in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansfield, Caroline; Thompson, Greg

2017-01-01

Teacher professional learning (PL) is viewed by governments, bureaucracies and school systems as important for improving teaching quality and effectiveness. This new enthusiasm, however, is set against a history of professional development in schools of marginal benefit. In response to this history, education authorities are interested in PL that…

Mentoring and Coaching in Schools: Professional Learning through Collaborative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burley, Suzanne; Pomphrey, Cathy

2011-01-01

Can mentoring and coaching really improve professional practice? How can research and inquiry improve mentoring and coaching practice? "Mentoring and Coaching in Schools" explores the ways in which mentoring and coaching can be used as a dynamic collaborative process for effective professional learning. It demonstrates how the use of practitioner…

Teachers' Professional Growth through Engagement with Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widjaja, Wanty; Vale, Colleen; Groves, Susie; Doig, Brian

2017-01-01

Lesson study is highly regarded as a model for professional learning, yet remains under-theorised. This article examines the professional learning experiences of teachers and numeracy coaches from three schools in a local network of schools, participating in a lesson study project over two research cycles in 2012. It maps the interconnections…

Teacher Perceptions Regarding the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities at the Elementary School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finley, Lauren L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe elementary school teachers' perceptions of Professional Learning Communities and how they believed participation in a PLC impacts their professional development and classroom instruction. This study utilized organizational theory as a framework in order to better understand how changes in an…

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,…

Professional development in photonics: the advanced technology education projects of the New England Board of Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Judith; Hanes, Fenna; Massa, Nicholas

2007-09-01

Since 1995, the New England Board of Education (NEBHE) has been providing curriculum and professional development as well as laboratory improvement in optics/photonics to middle school and high school teachers and college faculty across the United States. With funding from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technology Education program, NEBHE's optics/photonics education projects have created a national network of educational and industry alliances resulting in opportunities in optics and photonics for students at participating schools and colleges. The cornerstone of NEBHE projects is collaboration among educational levels, career counselors and teachers/faculty, and industry and academia. In such a rich atmosphere of cooperation, participants have been encouraged to create their own regional projects and activities involving students from middle school through four-year universities. In this paper we will describe the evolution of teacher/faculty professional development from a traditional week-long summer workshop to a collaborative distance learning laboratory course based on adult learning principles and supported by a national network of industry mentors.

Can Collaborative Consultation, Based on Communicative Theory, Promote an Inclusive School Culture?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Ahlefeld Nisser, Désirée

2017-01-01

This article contributes to furthering our knowledge of how collaborative consultation, based on communicative theory, can make teachers' learning from, and with, each other an inclusive process, and thus promote an inclusive school culture. The aim is to study special education professionals' experiences of, and reflections on, leading…

Toward Fidelity: Simulation-Based Learning for School Principal Preparation and Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shakeshaft, Charol; Becker, Jonathan; Mann, Dale; Reardon, Martin; Robinson, Kerry

2013-01-01

The authors describe a simulation-based set of full-motion video scenarios which require students studying educational leadership to make decisions that solve problems presented in "A Year in the Life of a Middle School Principal." The decision points were designed to reflect the proficiencies emphasized in ISLLC [Interstate School…

Proposing a Continuous Professional Development Model to Support and Enhance Professional Learning of Teachers in Special Schools in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kempen, M.; Steyn, G. M.

2016-01-01

A collaborative continuous professional (CPD) model was implemented and evaluated in six special schools in Gauteng, South Africa in order to support teachers in their professional capacity. The study which reports on a two year study aimed to establish the value of the CPD programme on teachers' learning, students' outcomes and whole school…

Online Professional Development for Project Based Learning: Pathways to Systematic Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravitz, Jason; Mergendoller, John; Markham, Thom; Thorsen, Carolyn; Rice, Kerry; Snelson, Chareen; Reberry, Sherawn

2004-01-01

This paper describes efforts to increase the prevalence, rigor and relevance of Project Based Learning in US schools and internationally. Under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE), US Department of Education, the Buck Institute for Education and partners are offering: 1) an online staff development…

What Impedes the Development of Professional Learning Communities in China? Perceptions from Leaders and Frontline Teachers in Three Schools in Shanghai

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Jia; Yuan, Rui; Yu, Shulin

2017-01-01

Using qualitative data collected from three high schools in Shanghai, this study explored the barriers to the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) in Chinese schools from the perspectives of school leaders and teachers. Results indicate that the barriers identified by teachers in the development of PLCs include insufficient…

An Investigation of the Perceptions of Teachers and Principals on PLC Implementation in the High Schools of a Large Suburban School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askew, Cheryl Cessna

2012-01-01

This research explored the perceptions of high school principals and teachers on the implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) in their schools. These perceptions were surveyed using the Professional Learning Communities Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R). Data results were examined for areas of agreement and disagreement between the…

Blending Together, Step by Step: Principal Uses Professional Learning to Combine Two School Cultures into One

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Linda E.; Shafer, Tracy; Kragler, Sherry

2009-01-01

There is no denying that combining two schools, or even opening a new school, is loaded with challenges and frustrations as well as high expectations. Principal Tracy Shafer saw a rural school consolidation as an opportunity to use professional development to create a community focused on student learning, meeting the need for high-quality…

Success for Minnesota: Success for All Schools in Minnesota Continue To Gain on MCA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Success for All Foundation, 2004

2004-01-01

Success for All is the most extensively researched of all comprehensive reform models for Title I elementary schools. It incorporates scientifically based principles of reading, cooperative learning, professional development, tutoring, and family support. Minnesota elementary schools using the Success for All reading program have once again made …

School Leadership for Learning: Insights from TALIS 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2016

2016-01-01

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the largest international survey of teachers and school leaders. Using the TALIS database, this report looks at different approaches to school leadership and the impact of school leadership on professional learning communities and on the learning climate in individual schools. It looks…

Understanding How Professional Learning Communities Impact Teaching Practice and What Influences the Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalal, Shilpa D.

2013-01-01

Problem: Professional learning communities (PLCs) are not a new trend in education but are getting more attention in schools today as a vehicle for establishing collegial relationships among teachers and for building capacity for change within schools (Dufour & Eaker, 1998; Fullan, 2004; Hord, 2004; Senge, 2000). Schools are working diligently…

Elements Affecting the Development of Professional Learning Communities in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaap, Harmen; de Bruijn, Elly

2018-01-01

This article focuses on the development of professional learning communities (PLCs), which are communities within schools, composed of voluntary participating teachers facilitated by school principals with a specific task to accomplish as part of a larger innovation project. Four PLCs were observed during 3 years by using questionnaires and…

Structural Analysis of Factors That Influence Professional Learning Communities in Korean Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Kyoung-Oh; Choi, Jinyoung

2017-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an important strategy for innovation in schools, and they are receiving considerable attention from scholars and educators alike. The present study aimed to examine the effect of PLCs on schools' effectiveness and to investigate the social, organizational, and structural factors that can promote these…

A Study of Professional Learning Communities in International Schools in Bangkok, Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerhard, James Herbert

2010-01-01

Teacher collaboration and professional development are crucial components to any school improvement process. In an international school context differences among teachers emerging from culture, language, training, and environment can present a unique view of how teachers collaborate and learn together. The purpose of the study was to determine…

The Curious Schools Project: Capturing Nomad Creativity in Teacher Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Mary Ann; Emery, Sherridan

2015-01-01

The Curious Schools project is a teacher professional learning initiative that aims to provide an insight into--and resource for--creativity in Tasmanian schools. It offers an alternative to conventional models of teacher professional learning by engaging teachers in multi-modal methods of documenting and reflecting on their work as the basis for…

Relationship between Professional Learning Community, Bureaucratic Structure and Organisational Trust in Primary Education Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalkan, Fatma

2016-01-01

This research uses relational survey method to determine the relationship between professional learning community, bureaucratic structure and organisational trust according to the perceptions of teachers who work in primary education schools. Data were collected from 805 teachers who work in primary education schools in the districts (Altindag,…

Contrived Collegiality versus Genuine Collegiality: Demystifying Professional Learning Communities in Chinese Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ting

2015-01-01

Drawing on data from a larger study on Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and School Leadership in China, this article investigates the practices of teacher collaboration and PLCs in two urban, high-performing secondary schools in Northeast China. Qualitative data were collected from observations, documents and in-depth semi-structured…

Factors that Promote Progression in Schools Functioning as Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leclerc, Martine; Moreau, Andre C.; Dumouchel, Catherine; Sallafranque-St-Louis, Francois

2012-01-01

The purpose of this research is to identify factors that influence the functioning of a school working as a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and to analyze the links between these factors and the school's progression. This research was developed within the context of an interpretative research paradigm. The primary data collection tool…

A Research Agenda for Professional Learning Communities: Moving Forward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hairon, Salleh; Goh, Jonathan Wee Pin; Chua, Catherine Siew Kheng; Wang, Li-yi

2017-01-01

Professional learning communities (PLCs) as a means of raising the teaching profession are becoming more attractive in education systems seeking to improve school improvement processes and outcomes. The main intention is to increase the individual and collective capacity of teachers so as to support school-wide capacity for teaching and learning.…

Problem Solved: Middle School Math Instruction Gets a Boost from a Flexible Model for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Jennifer; Koellner, Karen; Funderburk, Joanie

2012-01-01

Education researchers frequently seek out districts, schools, and teachers as partners for professional learning projects. They share their ambitious vision--a new model of professional learning that will support an empowered community, instructional improvement, and student achievement. The authors, along with other members of their research…

Creating Meaningful Partnerships: Connecting Teaching Candidates with Professional Development Schools through Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Lisa; Reiser, Cortney; Hawk, Robin

2016-01-01

Through the use of constructed narratives, this article shares the experiences of two preservice teachers and their university professor in implementing service learning projects that took place within their Professional Development School partnerships. Findings suggest that (1) service learning was a valuable instructional strategy to enhance the…

Relationships between Teacher Value Orientations, Collegiality, and Collaboration in School Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ning, Hoi Kwan; Lee, Daphnee; Lee, Wing On

2015-01-01

Unlike past research which has mainly examined whole school or whole department professional learning communities, this study focused on factors related to effective collaborative practices within teacher learning teams. Our main objective was to ascertain the roles of team value orientations (collectivism and power distance) and team collegiality…

Developing Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning: The American Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elias, Maurice J.; Moceri, Dominic C.

2012-01-01

Developments in American policy, research and professional development to promote social and emotional learning in schools have drawn on work carried out by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), encouraged by the popular and political catalyst of Daniel Goleman's work on emotional intelligence. Based on CASEL's…

Connect the Dots: A Dedicated System for Learning Links Teacher Teams to Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ermeling, Bradley A.

2012-01-01

Establishing school-based professional learning appears so simple and straightforward during inspiring presentations at summer workshops, but keeping collaborative work focused on teaching and learning in such a way that it produces consistent results is a highly underestimated task. Investigations and experience from a group of researchers at the…

Meeting the Demands of Science Reforms: A Comprehensive Professional Development for Practicing Middle School Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pringle, Rose M.; Mesa, Jennifer; Hayes, Lynda

2018-03-01

Preparing teachers to teach science consistent with current reforms in science education is a daunting enterprise given a lack of high-quality science professional development (PD) adaptable across various contexts (Wilson 2013). This study examines the impact of a comprehensive professional development program on middle school teachers' disciplinary content knowledge and instructional practices. In this mixed methods investigation, data sources included classroom observations, content knowledge assessments, surveys, and a range of interviews. The teachers in the program showed significant improvements in their disciplinary content knowledge and demonstrated through their enactment of a reform-based curriculum, a range of ability levels to translate their knowledge into instructional practices consistent with the principles espoused in the PD. We conclude that programs that attend to elements of effective PD identified in the literature can positively impact middle school science teachers' enactment of reform-based science teaching. Our findings extend these elements to include the strategic engagement of school and district leadership and the provision of a safe learning space for teachers to collectively engage in reciprocal learning and critical practice. This study has worldwide implications for designing PD for science teachers and for extending our understanding of the impact of each element.

Ethics education in research involving human beings in undergraduate medicine curriculum in Brazil.

PubMed

Novaes, Maria Rita Garbi; Guilhem, Dirce; Barragan, Elena; Mennin, Stewart

2013-12-01

The Brazilian national curriculum guidelines for undergraduate medicine courses inspired and influenced the groundwork for knowledge acquisition, skills development and the perception of ethical values in the context of professional conduct. The evaluation of ethics education in research involving human beings in undergraduate medicine curriculum in Brazil, both in courses with active learning processes and in those with traditional lecture learning methodologies. Curricula and teaching projects of 175 Brazilian medical schools were analyzed using a retrospective historical and descriptive exploratory cohort study. Thirty one medical schools were excluded from the study because of incomplete information or a refusal to participate. Active research for information from institutional sites and documents was guided by terms based on 69 DeCS/MeSH descriptors. Curriculum information was correlated with educational models of learning such as active learning methodologies, tutorial discussions with integrated curriculum into core modules, and traditional lecture learning methodologies for large classes organized by disciplines and reviewed by occurrence frequency of ethical themes and average hourly load per semester. Ninety-five medical schools used traditional learning methodologies. The ten most frequent ethical themes were: 1--ethics in research (26); 2--ethical procedures and advanced technology (46); 3--ethic-professional conduct (413). Over 80% of schools using active learning methodologies had between 50 and 100 hours of scheduled curriculum time devoted to ethical themes whereas more than 60% of traditional learning methodology schools devoted less than 50 hours in curriculum time to ethical themes. The data indicates that medical schools that employ more active learning methodologies provide more attention and time to ethical themes than schools with traditional discipline-based methodologies. Given the importance of ethical issues in contemporary medical education, these findings are significant for curriculum change and modification plans in the future of Brazilian medical education. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Urban schools' teachers enacting project-based science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tal, Tali; Krajcik, Joseph S.; Blumenfeld, Phyllis C.

2006-09-01

What teaching practices foster inquiry and promote students to learn challenging subject matter in urban schools? Inquiry-based instruction and successful inquiry learning and teaching in project-based science (PBS) were described in previous studies (Brown & Campione, [1990]; Crawford, [1999]; Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, Bass, & Fredricks, [1998]; Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, & Solloway, [1994]; Minstrell & van Zee, [2000]). In this article, we describe the characteristics of inquiry teaching practices that promote student learning in urban schools. Teaching is a major factor that affects both achievement of and attitude of students toward science (Tamir, [1998]). Our involvement in reform in a large urban district includes the development of suitable learning materials and providing continuous and practiced-based professional development (Fishman & Davis, in press; van Es, Reiser, Matese, & Gomez, [2002]). Urban schools face particular challenges when enacting inquiry-based teaching practices like those espoused in PBS. In this article, we describe two case studies of urban teachers whose students achieved high gains on pre- and posttests and who demonstrated a great deal of preparedness and commitment to their students. Teachers' attempts to help their students to perform well are described and analyzed. The teachers we discuss work in a school district that strives to bring about reform in mathematics and science through systemic reform. The Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (LeTUS) collaborates with the Detroit Public Schools to bring about reform in middle-school science. Through this collaboration, diverse populations of urban-school students learn science through inquiry-oriented projects and the use of various educational learning technologies. For inquiry-based science to succeed in urban schools, teachers must play an important role in enacting the curriculum while addressing the unique needs of students. The aim of this article is to describe patterns of good science teaching in urban school.

Planning and Implementing a Public Health Professional Distance Learning Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Escoffery, Cam; Leppke, Allison M.; Robinson, Kara B.; Mettler, Erik P.; Miner, Kathleen R.; Smith, Iris

2005-01-01

Training of public health professionals through web-based technology is rapidly increasing. This article describes one school of public health's effort to establish an online Master's program that serves students nationally and internationally. It examines the critical components in the design and implementation of distance education, including…

Enhancing Teachers' Application of Inquiry-Based Strategies Using a Constructivist Sociocultural Professional Development Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brand, Brenda R.; Moore, Sandra J.

2011-05-01

This two-year school-wide initiative to improve teachers' pedagogical skills in inquiry-based science instruction using a constructivist sociocultural professional development model involved 30 elementary teachers from one school, three university faculty, and two central office content supervisors. Research was conducted for investigating the impact of the professional development activities on teachers' practices, documenting changes in their philosophies, instruction, and the learning environment. This report includes teachers' accounts of philosophical as well as instructional changes and how these changes shaped the learning environment. For the teachers in this study, examining their teaching practices in learner-centered collaborative group settings encouraged them to critically analyze their instructional practices, challenging their preconceived ideas on inquiry-based strategies. Additionally, other factors affecting teachers' understanding and use of inquiry-based strategies were highlighted, such as self-efficacy beliefs, prior experiences as students in science classrooms, teacher preparation programs, and expectations due to federal, state, and local mandates. These factors were discussed and reconciled, as they constructed new understandings and adapted their strategies to become more student-centered and inquiry-based.

Exploring the Mediating Effects of Trust on Principal Leadership and Teacher Professional Learning in Hong Kong Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Lijuan; Hallinger, Philip; Walker, Allan

2016-01-01

This study attempted to identify effects of trust between principal leadership and teacher professional learning in Hong Kong primary schools. To verify the potential mediating effects of trust as a component of school capacity, survey data with a sample of 970 teachers from 32 local primary schools was used. Two questionnaires were combined to…

Professional Learning Communities Focusing on Results and Data-Use to Improve Student Learning: The Right Implementation Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muñoz, Marco A.; Branham, Karen E.

2016-01-01

Professional Learning Communities are an important means toward the goal of improving schools so that students can learn at high levels. Professional Learning Communities, when well-implemented, have a laser-focus on learning, work collaboratively, and hold themselves accountable for results. In this article, the central concept of…

Taking a Measure of Impact: 2 Colorado Districts Calibrate the Effects of High Quality Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Linda

2016-01-01

Snapshots of two Colorado districts in the Redesign PD Community of Practice: Denver Public Schools' professional learning partners help subject-matter experts and others provide educators with a high-quality learning experience. In Jefferson County, Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning guide educators to make teacher…

Professional International Service Learning as an International Service Learning Opportunity Appropriate for Graduate or Professional Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lightfoot, Elizabeth; Lee, Hee Yun

2015-01-01

Graduate and professional schools are increasingly using short-term international study abroad courses as one way for internationalizing their curriculum. While international service learning can be a means for improving students' engagement in international learning experiences and providing a structure for learning, it is difficult to design…

An Investigation of Primary School Teachers' PCK towards Science Subjects Using an Inquiry-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkis Küçükaydin, Mensure; Uluçinar Sagir, Safak

2016-01-01

In this study, the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of four experienced primary school teachers was investigated within the "Let's Solve the Riddle of Our Body Unit". The PCK investigation adopted a learning approach based on inquiry, content representation and pedagogical and professional-experience repertoires (PaP-eRs), and…

Examining Changes in Beliefs and Practices: English Language Teachers' Participation in the School-Based Support Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaaban, Youmen

2017-01-01

This article examines changes in teachers' beliefs and practices over the course of a professional development (PD) program concerned with the implementation of a constructivist-oriented pedagogy in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Grounded in situative theories of learning and development, the School-based Support Program places…

Professional Learning Communities in Improved Illinois Elementary Schools: The Value of Professional Learning Communities for Leaders of Illinois Elementary Schools Formerly in "No Child Left Behind" Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Steven James

2012-01-01

The "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 has created a system, which potentially labeled 82% of US school as "failing" in 2011. Consequences for failing schools go beyond public ostracism to the release of numerous staff and school leaders or the closing of the…

The Professional Learning Community as Subversive Activity: Countering the Culture of Conventional Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nehring, James; Fitzsimons, Gray

2011-01-01

As the professional learning community (PLC) as a desired cultural norm gains popularity within K-12 state schools, greater knowledge of the PLC implementation process is warranted. This study reports findings from semi-structured focus group interviews with teachers in an urban/suburban high school after one year of schoolwide professional…

Supporting Public High School Teachers in a Context of Multiple Mandates: A Social Justice Approach to Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harak, Philip J.

2012-01-01

Although public school teaching by its inherent nature presents numerous classroom challenges, the public high school teacher today is faced in addition with multiple external mandates from several outside stakeholders. Given the established track record of professional learning communities (PLCs) to provide teacher support and development, I…

Embedded Experiences, Critical Conversations: Learning about Teaching in a Professional Development School Cohort Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuchart, Daphne

2012-01-01

Using qualitative research techniques, the researcher explored preservice teacher learning among traditional college-age students engaged in a semester-long early field experience in an urban elementary school within a Literacy Education Professional Development School (LEPrDS) cohort setting. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to explore…

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…

Implementation and Perceived Effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities in the Kanawha County School District in West Virginia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brucker, Elizabeth L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of levels of implementation and levels of effectiveness in improving student learning of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in Kanawha County Schools. This study also sought to determine differences in levels of implementation and effectiveness for five selected independent…

How Do Professional Learning Communities Foster Strong Career and Technical Education Programs of Study in Illinois Public High Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Custable, Wendy

2013-01-01

This research study examines how Illinois public high school Career and Technical Education educational leaders employ best practices in providing all students rigorous, relevant, and equitable learning experiences within a professional learning community structure. This study utilized a mixed method two-tier case study methodology. Tier one…

Development and Determination of Reliability and Validity of Professional Learning Community Collaborative Team Survey (CTS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colvin, Joshua A.

2013-01-01

The study of transformative learning within collaborative teams was conducted to gain new applicable knowledge used to influence overall school improvement and implementation of professional learning communities. To obtain this new knowledge, the Professional Learning Community Collaborative Team Survey (CTS) was developed and psychometrically…

Professional Learning Orientations: Patterns of Dissonance and Alignment between Teachers' Values and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedder, David; Opfer, V. Darleen

2013-01-01

Through its positive influence on teachers' classroom practices and their students' learning, effective professional learning of teachers is an important condition for school improvement. However, the Teaching and Learning International Survey reports that teachers' professional development in most countries falls short of meeting the needs of…

Validation of a Performance Assessment Instrument in Problem-Based Learning Tutorials Using Two Cohorts of Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Ming; Wimmers, Paul F.

2016-01-01

Although problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely used in medical schools, few studies have attended to the assessment of PBL processes using validated instruments. This study examined reliability and validity for an instrument assessing PBL performance in four domains: Problem Solving, Use of Information, Group Process, and Professionalism.…

NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) Professional Development and NASA Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Backman, D. E.; Clark, C.; Harman, P. K.

2017-12-01

NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program is a three-part professional development (PD) experience for high school physics, astronomy, and earth science teachers. AAA PD consists of: (1) blended learning via webinars, asynchronous content learning, and in-person workshops, (2) a STEM immersion experience at NASA Armstrong's B703 science research aircraft facility in Palmdale, California, and (3) ongoing opportunities for connection with NASA astrophysics and planetary science Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). AAA implementation in 2016-18 involves partnerships between the SETI Institute and seven school districts in northern and southern California. AAAs in the current cohort were selected by the school districts based on criteria developed by AAA program staff working with WestEd evaluation consultants. The selected teachers were then randomly assigned by WestEd to a Group A or B to support controlled testing of student learning. Group A completed their PD during January - August 2017, then participated in NASA SOFIA science flights during fall 2017. Group B will act as a control during the 2017-18 school year, then will complete their professional development and SOFIA flights during 2018. A two-week AAA electromagnetic spectrum and multi-wavelength astronomy curriculum aligned with the Science Framework for California Public Schools and Next Generation Science Standards was developed by program staff for classroom delivery. The curriculum (as well as the AAA's pre-flight PD) capitalizes on NASA content by using "science snapshot" case studies regarding astronomy research conducted by SOFIA. AAAs also interact with NASA SMEs during flight weeks and will translate that interaction into classroom content. The AAA program will make controlled measurements of student gains in standards-based learning plus changes in student attitudes towards STEM, and observe & record the AAAs' implementation of curricular changes. Funded by NASA: NNX16AC51

Factors in Sustaining Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilbane, James F., Jr.

2009-01-01

School change efforts to develop schools as learning communities result in schools that are constantly learning and thus changing. This collective case study of four schools involved in a 4-year reform effort begins to examine the ongoing sustainability of a learning community. The study draws insights about the sustainability of learning…

School-Based Learning for Individual Diversity in Education: The SLIDE Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrington, Ingrid

2013-01-01

Whole-School Professional Development (PD) days held regularly in schools are designed to promote and up-skill teaching and administrative staff on relevant areas of educational policy and practice. An aim of PD days is to empower participants with new knowledges and skills, and to confirm that current practices and interpretations of education…

Child sexual abuse and mandatory reporting intervention preservice content preferred by student teachers.

PubMed

Goldman, Juliette D G; Grimbeek, Peter

2014-01-01

The importance of preservice university teacher training about child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting intervention is addressed in educational literature, although very little is known about student teachers' learning interests and preferences in this area. In this article, student teachers refer to students in university who are training to become teachers whose training includes teaching experiences in schools. This study examines the content about child sexual abuse and its intervention that student teachers believe they should learn. Results based on quantitative analyses show the relative importance of gender in determining responses to questions about university training and, to a lesser extent, the importance of a previous acquaintance with victims of sexual abuse, previous employment, and the length of the university course. Results based on qualitative data show that content knowledge preferred by elementary/primary and secondary school student teachers includes the teacher's role in mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse and signs, experiences, and responses to student disclosure. Student teachers prefer content examples of school professionals' responses and procedures after disclosure and prefer direct learning content from intervening school professionals. These outcomes could usefully guide teachers and educators who design intervention curricula on child sexual abuse for preservice teachers.

Teachers' professional development needs and current practices at the Alexander Science Center School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gargus, Gerald Vincent

This investigation represents an in-depth understanding of teacher professional development at the Alexander Science Center School, a dependent charter museum school established through a partnership between the California Science Center and Los Angeles Unified School District. Three methods of data collection were used. A survey was distributed and collected from the school's teachers, resulting in a prioritized list of teacher professional development needs, as well as a summary of teachers' opinions about the school's existing professional development program. In addition, six key stakeholders in the school's professional development program were interviewed for the study. Finally, documents related to the school's professional development program were analyzed. Data collected from the interviews and documents were used to develop an understand various components of the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program. Teachers identified seven areas that had a high-priority for future professional development including developing skills far working with below-grade-level students, improving the analytical skills of student in mathematics, working with English Language Learners, improving students' overall reading ability levels, developing teachers' content-area knowledge for science, integrating science across the curriculum, and incorporating hands-on activity-based learning strategies to teach science. Professional development needs identified by Alexander Science Center School teachers were categorized based on their focus on content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, or curricular knowledge. Analysis of data collected through interviews and documents revealed that the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program consisted of six venues for providing professional development for teachers including weekly "banked time" sessions taking place within the standard school day, grade-level meetings, teacher support meetings, classroom coaching/Big Lab co-teaching, summer institutes, and off-campus conferences and seminars. Results indicated that the effectiveness of the six venues was closely tied to the level of collaborative planning that took place between the Alexander Science Center School and the associated California Science Center. Examination of teachers' and stakeholders opinions reflect that after a year-and-a-half of operations, the school's professional development program is perceived as disjointed and ineffective, but that the foundation of a sound program has been established.

Authentic Game-Based Learning and Teachers' Dilemmas in Reconstructing Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chee, Yam San; Mehrotra, Swati; Ong, Jing Chuan

2015-01-01

Teachers who attempt pedagogical innovation with authentic digital games face significant challenges because such games instantiate open systems of learner activity, inviting enquiry learning rather than knowledge acquisition. However, school environments are normatively sanctioned cultural spaces where direct instruction and high-stakes tests are…

Preliminary Results of Professional Development Program for School Science Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuttiprom, Sura; Wuttisela, Karntarat; Phonchaiya, Sonthi; Athiwaspong, Wanwalai; Chitaree, Ratchapak; Sharma, Manjula Devi

2016-01-01

Teachers need to design their courses to be as similar to real-life situations as possible as genuine learning emerges in real life as opposed to studying in class. Research-based learning is an innovative approach exploring many critical strategies for success in the twenty-first century. In it, students drive their own learning through inquiry,…

Effects of Leadership Practices on Professional Learning Communities: The Mediating Role of Trust in Colleagues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Xin; Yin, Hongbiao; Liu, Yuan; Ke, Zheng

2016-01-01

The building of professional learning communities has been widely recognized as an effective strategy for schools wanting to improve student performance and enhance teachers' professional capacity. This study explored the relationship between leadership practices and professional learning communities, with a particular focus on the mediating role…

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"…

Catalyst Schools' Implementation of the Learning School Approach. Catalyst Schools Research Study Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammer, Patricia Cahape

2016-01-01

"Catalyst schools" were 28 elementary and secondary schools selected to participate in a pilot project begun in July 2014, which explored how best to support teacher professional learning through decentralization of decision making and implementation of the Learning School approach. The pilot project was the first phase in a statewide…

Impact of Professional Development on Teacher Practice: Uncovering Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buczynski, Sandy; Hansen, C. Bobbi

2010-01-01

An Inquiry Learning Partnership (ILP) for professional development (PD) was formed between a university, science centre, and two urban school districts to offer 4-6th grade teachers specific science content and pedagogical techniques intended to integrate inquiry-based instruction in elementary classrooms. From pre/post content exams, PD surveys,…

Curriculum Making as Novice Professional Development: Practical Risk Taking as Learning in High-Stakes Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Christine D.

2007-01-01

This qualitative case study presents three novices in urban schools who enacted curricular projects as participants in a university-based professional development program. This experience created an opportunity for practical risk taking, enabling them to consider the consequences of curricular choices in personal terms. Such professional…

The Space in Between: A Book Club with Inner-City Girls and Professional Teacher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kooy, Mary; Colarusso, Dana M.

2014-01-01

The effects of teacher learning that transitions into pedagogical knowledge and practice remains an under-investigated area in the literature. This longitudinal study extended one teacher's professional learning into her inner-city secondary school, where she created a mother-daughter after-school book club that began when 12 Black girls,…

Teacher Professional Learning Communities in Innovative Contexts: "Ah Hah Moments," "Passion" and "Making a Difference" for Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Susanne Mary

2015-01-01

Innovative educational approaches for schooling require changes to the traditional teacher role towards operating as co-facilitators and co-learners, and working in teacher teams, with considerable professional learning supporting this. Professional learning communities (PLCs) have been acknowledged as highly effective, with their characteristics…

Professional Learning Drives Common Core and Educator Evaluation, Knowledge Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killion, Joellen; Hirsh, Stephanie

2014-01-01

The ultimate key to successful integration and implementation of college- and career-ready standards and educator evaluation systems is the quality of the professional learning that educators engage in every day. Effective professional learning at the school level occurs among a team of teachers learning in a cycle of continuous improvement.…

Professional Learning Communities: Creating a Foundation for Collaboration Skills in Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoaglund, Amy E.; Birkenfeld, Karen; Box, Jean Ann

2014-01-01

According to Richard DuFour (2004), "To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively and hold yourself accountable for results." Professional learning communities provide the structure that must exist within a school in order to become effective. However, to truly prepare…

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…

Personal Agency in Leadership Learning Using an Australian Heuristic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovett, Susan; Dempster, Neil; Flückiger, Bev

2015-01-01

The starting point for this article is the lack of a robust research base regarding details of what works and why for school leaders' professional development. The article extends work undertaken for a recent commissioned literature review of selected international reports on supporting school leaders' development strategies. The authors reveal…

A Phenomenological Study of an Indonesian Cohort Group's Transformative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budiraharjo, Markus

2013-01-01

This study was set to investigate how a cohort of ten Indonesian teachers experienced transformations in their teaching professionalism upon receiving an assignment of instructional leadership training to other school leaders. These ten teachers, who came from three different Indonesian Jesuit high schools and one archdiocese-based educational…

Learn to Lead: Mapping Workplace Learning of School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hulsbos, Frank Arnoud; Evers, Arnoud Theodoor; Kessels, Joseph Willem Marie

2016-01-01

In recent years policy makers' interest in the professional development of school leaders has grown considerably. Although we know some aspect of formal educational programs for school leaders, little is known about school leaders' incidental and non-formal learning in the workplace. This study aims to grasp what workplace learning activities…

Transferring Learning from the Workshop to the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Kimberly A.

2009-01-01

As coordinator of the ABE Teaching and Learning Advancement System (ATLAS) based in the Hamline University School of Education in St. Paul, the author does many workshops or conference sessions in Minnesota's nine professional development regions each year. Typical single-day events offer multiple 90-minute workshops. She often questions the…

The Effects of Computer Visual Appeal on Learners' Motivation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sultan, Adel; Jones, Marshall

Over the years, situated and observational learning has given way to mass teaching and theoretical learning based on prose information. Even though schools have produced many successful professionals, they often fail to address individual differences in learners and encourage competition rather than cooperation between learners. As a result, many…

Preservice Teachers as Investigative Science Mentors: Advancing Self-Efficacy through School-Based Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Ingrid M.

2015-01-01

Pedagogical competence and teaching efficacy significantly influence the quality of classroom science learning. Without applying pedagogical learning in realistic classroom environments, there is slight possibility that prospective teachers will increase their teaching confidence or develop understanding of how learners acquire and construct…

The Perceived Effectiveness of Christian School Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Kory G.

2012-01-01

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

Professional Practice Schools: Building a Model. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Marsha, Ed.

This collection of papers addresses three important aspects of professional practice schools: student learning, teacher development, and implementation issues related to collaboration among institutions and state policy environment. The first paper, "The Child as Meaning Maker: The Organizing Theme of Professional Practice Schools" (Ellen M.…

The Use of a Mathematics Professional Learning Community Uniting Math 1 and Math Support Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shirley, George R., Jr.

2010-01-01

In an effort to improve its mathematics education, the state of Georgia instituted a performance-based curriculum in the high schools during the 2008 school year. With the implementation of this new curriculum, teachers needed resources and the opportunity to collaborate regularly. The problem this project-based study addressed was how to refine a…

Enacting Curriculum Reform through Lesson Study: A Case Study of Mathematics Teacher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ni Shuilleabhain, Aoibhinn; Seery, Aidan

2018-01-01

Based in a time of major curriculum reform, this article reports on a qualitative case study of teacher professional development (PD) in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Five mathematics teachers in an Irish secondary school were introduced to and participated in successive cycles of school-based lesson study (LS) over the course of one academic…

The professional learning community as perceived by Israeli school superintendents, principals and teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schechter, Chen

2012-12-01

A professional learning community (PLC) facilitates collaborative learning among colleagues at all levels in their common working environment. PLCs are particularly useful in schools, with teachers and principals meeting regularly to solve problems relating to teaching and learning. Being a means of improving student achievement, PLCs have received growing support from researchers and practitioners alike, yet some professionals are still exploring ways to develop learning networks focusing on teaching and learning issues. The purpose of this study was to examine Israeli teachers', principals', and superintendents' perceptions of inhibiting and fostering factors of the PLC. In this qualitative, topic-oriented study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 15 teachers from elementary, middle and secondary schools and their respective principals (15) and superintendents (15). Generating themes was inductive, grounded in the perspectives articulated by participants. The principals and the teachers indicated that overload, a lack of resources and top-down commands were PLC-inhibiting factors. The superintendents saw the principal's leadership style as a main PLC-fostering factor. Understanding how these three echelons in the school system perceive the inhibiting and fostering factors of a PLC could indicate whether and how this collaborative learning process can be nurtured and sustained in schools.

Effects of Scaled-Up Professional Development Courses about Inquiry-Based Learning on Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maass, Katja; Engeln, Katrin

2018-01-01

Although well researched in educational studies, inquiry-based learning, a student-centred way of teaching, is far away from being implemented in day-to-day science and mathematics teaching on a large scale. It is a challenge for teachers to adopt this new way of teaching in an often not supportive school context. Therefore it is important to…

Professional Development, Teacher Learning, and National Standards: A Mixed-Method Multiple-Case Study of the Professional Learning Experiences of Evangelical Christian School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montoro, Vincent

2012-01-01

Today's educational environment requires teachers who understand teaching and learning, have strong content knowledge, and can make connections between life experiences and the curriculum. Teachers are expected to be continually learning to improve their practice. Professional learning is essential in this process. Research on professional…

Exploring Middle School Math Teachers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Collaborative Learning Teams within Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawding, Molly Rothermel

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of what makes a collaborative learning team (CLT) effective for novice and experienced teachers. Professional learning communities have emerged as one approach for job-embedded professional learning so that teachers have the opportunity to collaborate with the end goal of…

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.

The Role of Departmental Leadership for Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanblaere, Bénédicte; Devos, Geert

2018-01-01

Purpose: Department heads play a pivotal role in the functioning of departments in secondary schools. However, quantitative research about the role of departmental leadership for the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) in subject departments in secondary schools remains scarce. As PLCs are seen as promising contexts for…

Professional Learning Communities: A Middle School Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gentile, David N.

2010-01-01

This research project explored the transition from a traditional model to a Professional Learning Community model in a NJ Middle School. The administration overcame obstacles during the transition such as scheduling conflicts, teacher apathy, and resistance. This action research study gathered data to determine how to best structure the…

Exploring Blended Learning for Science Teacher Professional Development in an African Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boitshwarelo, Bopelo

2009-01-01

This paper explores a case of teacher professional development in Botswana where a blended learning solution was attempted. The analysis of the implementation environment reveals deficiencies in policy, schools (workplaces), and training providers. The paper concludes with three recommendations: 1) Schools should support ongoing teacher learning…

Organizational and Relational Factors in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Julie; Mitchell, Roxanne; Tarter, C. John

2014-01-01

The roles of organizational and relational factors in regard to professional learning communities (PLCs) have been investigated by many, yet none have considered enabling school structures, trust, and collective efficacy as variables. We take a deeper look at the formal or organizational aspects of the school represented by enabling school…

Universities, Schools, and Communities: A New Generation of Professional Development School Roles, Structures, and Governance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basile, Carole G.; Gutierrez, Cindy

2011-01-01

What differentiates the professional development school (PDS) from other schools are the people and the roles they have created to enact the functions or goals unique to the PDS model: preparation of teacher candidates; enhanced professional learning for educators; improved student achievement through the simultaneous renewal of university and…

Tempering the Normative Demands of Professional Learning Communities with the Organizational Realities of Life in Schools: Exploring the Cognitive Dilemmas Faced by Educational Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruse, Sharon D.; Johnson, Bob L.

2017-01-01

This work explores how mindful leadership practice can inform school and district leadership specifically as it occurs in professional learning communities (PLC). When school and district leaders create PLC cultures that encourage rich thinking and intentional practice, individual and organizational mindfulness is present. As leaders work to craft…

Examining the Five Dimensions of Professional Learning Communities in Nigerian Schools: A Study of the Perceptions of Educators in Delta State Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egbune, Francisca

2013-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether educators perceive the existence of the five dimensions of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in Delta State Schools in Nigeria. This study used an online survey to assess 105 teachers' and administrator's perceptions from six randomly sampled Delta State Central Senatorial…

The Effects of a Professional Learning Community on Teachers and Student Achievement in a High School Serving Predominately Latino Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendez, Larry

2013-01-01

The research study was an evaluation of a professional learning community (PLC) and its effect on teachers and student achievement in a high school serving predominately Latino students. The study was a mixed research study that consisted of both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data included school-wide and Latino student…

Evaluation of Central Services Professional Learning Teams as of Spring 2010. Eye on Evaluation. E&R Report No. 10.06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baenen, Nancy; Jackl, Andrew

2010-01-01

The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) board policy states that central services staff are to support school implementation of Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) and to participate in PLTs at the central level. Central staff support school efforts in a variety of ways, and over 85% of principals at each level reported this support was…

Teacher Professional Development Focused on Formative Assessment: Changing Teachers, Changing Schools. Research Report. ETS RR-09-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wylie, E. Caroline; Lyon, Christine J.; Goe, Laura

2009-01-01

This paper outlines an approach to improving learning and teaching that combines two strong research bases: The research on formative assessment or assessment for learning provides information about what to change; research on teacher learning communities guides decisions about how to change. In this paper we describe the content and process for…

Learning from Success as Leverage for a Professional Learning Community: Exploring an Alternative Perspective of School Improvement Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schechter, Chen

2010-01-01

Background: Although the professional learning community as a means of improving student achievement has received growing support from researchers and practitioners alike, professionals are still exploring ways to develop interaction networks regarding teaching and learning issues. Purpose: This study explores the evolving stages of a collective…

Professional Learning to Support Elementary Teachers' Use of the iPod Touch in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciampa, Katia; Gallagher, Tiffany L.

2013-01-01

This single case study reports on the programme of professional learning that a Canadian staff of elementary teachers (Junior Kindergarten to Grade Eight) and their school principal engaged in to learn to use a mobile multimedia device as an instructional resource. The professional learning was facilitated by two university researchers who used…

Sustained Professional Development on Cooperative Learning: Impact on Six Teachers' Practices and Students' Learning.

PubMed

Goodyear, Victoria A

2017-03-01

It has been argued, extensively and internationally, that sustained school-based continuous professional development (CPD) has the potential to overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional one-off CPD programs. Yet, the evidence base on more effective or less effective forms of CPD is contradictory. The mechanisms by which sustained support should be offered are unclear, and the impacts on teachers' and students' learning are complex and difficult to track. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a sustained school-based, tailored, and supported CPD program on teachers' practices and students' learning. Data are reported from 6 case studies of individual teachers engaged in a yearlong CPD program focused on cooperative learning. The CPD program involved participatory action research and frequent interaction/support from a boundary spanner (researcher/facilitator). Data were gathered from 29 video-recorded lessons, 108 interviews, and 35 field journal entries. (a) Individualized (external) support, (b) departmental (internal) support, and (c) sustained support impacted teachers' practices of cooperative learning. The teachers adapted their practices of cooperative learning in response to their students' learning needs. Teachers began to develop a level of pedagogical fluency, and in doing so, teachers advanced students' learning. Because this study demonstrates impact, it contributes to international literature on effective CPD. The key contribution is the detailed evidence about how and why CPD supported 6 individual teachers to learn-differently-and the complexity of the learning support required to engage in ongoing curriculum development to positively impact student learning.

Medical professionalism in the formal curriculum: 5th year medical students' experiences.

PubMed

Stockley, Amelia J; Forbes, Karen

2014-11-30

The standards and outcomes outlined in the General Medical Council's publication 'Tomorrow's Doctors' include proposals that medical professionalism be included in undergraduate curricula. Learning the values and attitudes necessary to become a 'doctor as a professional' has traditionally been left largely to the informal and hidden curricula. There remains no consensus or confirmed evidence upon which to base best practice for teaching in this area. In 2010, as part of a revision of the fifth year curriculum the University of Bristol Medical School introduced tutorials which focused on students' achievement of the learning objectives in 'Tomorrow's Doctors Outcomes 3: the doctor as a professional'. This study sought to explore the students' experiences of these tutorials in order to develop the evidence base further. Sixteen medical students participated in three focus-group interviews exploring their experiences of medical professionalism tutorials. A course evaluation questionnaire to all fifth year students also provided data. Data were analysed using the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four main themes were identified: students' aversion to 'ticking-boxes', lack of engagement by the students, lack of engagement by the tutors and students' views on how medical professionalism should be taught. A curriculum innovation which placed the achievement of medical professionalism in the formal curriculum was not unanimously embraced by students or faculty. Further consideration of the students' aversion to 'ticking-boxes' is warranted. With continued demand for increased accountability and transparency in medical education, detailed check-lists of specific learning objectives will continue to feature as a means by which medical schools and learners demonstrate attainment. Students' experiences and acceptance of these check-lists deserves attention in order to inform teaching and learning in this area. Learner and faculty 'buy in' are imperative to the success of curriculum change and vital if the students are to attain the intended learning objectives. Effective faculty development and student induction programmes could be employed to facilitate engagement by both parties.

"Follow" Me: Networked Professional Learning for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Kathryn; Preston, Greg; Shaw, Kylie; Buchanan, Rachel

2013-01-01

Effective professional learning for teachers is fundamental for any school system aiming to make transformative and sustainable change to teacher practice. This paper investigates the efficacy of Twitter as a medium for teachers to participate in professional learning by analysing the tweets of 30 influential users of the popular medium. We find…

More than Standardisation: Teacher's Professional Literacy Learning in Australia?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardiner, Veronica; Cumming-Potvin, Wendy; Glass, Christine Kay

2017-01-01

Current policies guiding literacy and teacher professional learning in Australia, tend to foreground the importance of standardised practice and assessment in classrooms and schools. However, enactments of print-oriented literacy and professional learning in alignment with this emphasis stand in contradiction with contemporary approaches, which…

Principals and Teachers as Partners in Critical, Participatory Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nixon, Rhonda

2016-01-01

This article reports on a two-year study of one principal's professional learning practices in "Transform," a professional learning program in Edmonton Catholic Schools, Alberta, Canada. Transform was designed to be a bottom-up, morally-oriented professional learning approach in which principals and teachers worked as partners on…

Launching Professional Learning Communities: Beginning Actions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leo, Tara; Cowan, D'Ette

2000-01-01

A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a school where administrators and teachers continuously seek and share learning to increase their effectiveness for students and act on what they learn. PLCs are characterized by five dimensions: shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collective learning and application of learning,…

Learning Together: Opening up Learning in All-Through Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

The aim of this guide is to stimulate professional reflection, dialogue and debate about learning. Education professionals in Scotland are already aware of the key issues relating to learning through the series "Curriculum for Excellence: Building the Curriculum," the recent publication "Learning Together: Opening Up Learning"…

Scaling Up, "Writ Small": Using an Assessment for Learning Audit Instrument to Stimulate Site-Based Professional Development, One School at a Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lysaght, Zita; O'Leary, Michael

2017-01-01

Exploiting the potential that Assessment for Learning (AfL) offers to optimise student learning is contingent on both teachers' knowledge and use of AfL and the fidelity with which this translates into their daily classroom practices. Quantitative data derived from the use of an Assessment for Learning Audit Instrument (AfLAI) with a large sample…

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…

CSI: Creating Student (and Teacher) Investigators--Using Popular Culture in Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yanowitz, Karen L.; McKay, Tanja; Ross, C. Ann; Vanderpool, Staria S.

2010-01-01

The goal of this article is to present a description of a professional development program designed to immerse middle and high school teachers in an inquiry-based learning environment using a forensic science context and the consequent impact participating in this program had on teachers' pedagogy. Teachers participated in a year-long program…

Succeeding with Struggling Students: A Planning Resource for Raising Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Marti T.

2006-01-01

Schools today are working harder than ever to help ensure that "all" children "can" learn and achieve high standards. Marti Richardson, a recognized leader in professional and curriculum development, delivers an innovative, classroom-tested program with planning tools to customize it for any school or district's data-based needs. Designed around a…

Finding Innovation and Imagination in a Bag of Loose Parts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dillon, Anna

2018-01-01

The third annual research symposium at Zakher KG School in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), presented an exciting opportunity for the 33 teachers in the school to present their findings from classroom-based action research conducted within their professional learning communities. In this brief article, one attendee describes an unexpected…

What Can We Learn from School-Based Emotional Disturbance Assessment Practices? Implications for Practice and Preparation In School Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Ryan A.; Hanchon, Timothy A.

2013-01-01

The federal definition of emotional disturbance (ED) provides limited guidance to educational professionals charged with making Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act eligibility determinations. Despite calls to revise the definition, the ED category remains largely unchanged nearly four decades after being codified into…

17,000 Islands, One Goal: Indonesia Turns to Online Resources to Create a Network of School-Based Coaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Mary

2010-01-01

Community has taken on a new meaning for several school-based coaches spread across Indonesia. For far too long in developing countries, educators have been forced to rely on one-shot centralized professional development for teachers and those who work with them. A shortage of money, locally trained staff, and access to learning materials has made…

Development of High School Professional Learning Community Leaders: Effectiveness of One District's Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Middendorf, Beth N.

2013-01-01

Research indicated leadership played a key role in successfully implementing professional learning communities (PLCs). There has been little research on pragmatic approaches to developing PLC leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Gene School District's two-part PLC leader development: PLC Institute and ongoing…

Exploring the Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities in China: A Mixed-Method Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Jia; Pang, Nicholas Sun-Keung

2016-01-01

This mixed-method study explored the characteristics of professional learning communities (PLCs) in Chinese schools. Informed by the existing literature on PLCs, the authors conducted a questionnaire survey of teachers in seven schools in Shanghai to explore the characteristics of Chinese PLCs. Follow-up qualitative interviews were also conducted…

Queer(y)ing Culture through Professional Learning Communities: A Reimagining of Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerrero, Cristina; Shahnazarian, Armen; Brown, Michelle F.

2017-01-01

In this article we document our experiences as facilitators for the "Engaging All Students" professional learning community (PLC), which was implemented to help Toronto public school teachers re-engage underachieving students. These students, who are known as "marker students," are members of the school system's most…

Professional Learning Communities and Their Impact on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Story, Zenobia N.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact that professional learning communities (PLCs) have on student achievement. Through this study, the statewide performance results of a school district that implemented PLCs were examined. This study of an Illinois school district's statewide assessment results served as a foundation for further…

Multidisciplinary Professional Learning Communities in a Public High School: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finch, Jeffrey A.

2017-01-01

During professional development time in secondary schools, teachers often engage in peer exchanges that can have positive influence on instruction and learning, but often this time is focused within departmental groupings on content development without an emphasis on how to improve instruction through a more diverse student lens. This research…

Redistributed Leadership for Sustainable Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargreaves, Andy; Fink, Dean

2006-01-01

Distributed leadership in schools is not exclusive to professional learning communities; it is distributed in all schools, for good purposes and for bad, by design and by emergence. In this article, we describe a normative view of distributed leadership that tends to be a leadership of advocacy, and we offer a descriptive perspective that argues…

Whatever It Takes: A Mixed Methods Study Evaluating the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities across a District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, N. Shalene

2013-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) provide the basis for meeting the challenges and expectations in today's educational environment. Effective PLCs provide the framework for school improvement and ultimately impact student academic success. School leadership is fundamental in this process (Bennis, 2009; Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009;…

The Relationship between Professional Learning Community Implementation and Academic Achievement and Graduation Rates in Georgia High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardinger, Regina Gail

2013-01-01

Many educational administrators in Georgia continue to struggle with low student academic achievement and low high school graduation rates. DuFour's professional learning community (PLC) theory suggests a positive relationship between levels of PLC implementation and academic achievement and between levels of PLC implementation and graduation…

A Program Evaluation of a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Tracy

2012-01-01

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation of 2001 increased the stakes for all schools to increase student achievement by mandating all students meet or exceed state standards by 2014. A small rural school responded 5 years ago to their failure to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) by implementing professional learning communities (PLC) as a…

The Effects of Systemically Implemented Professional Learning Communities on the Educational Culture of a Public School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradshaw, Elizabeth A.

2017-01-01

The paper explores if systemic implementation of collaborative practices impacts the educational culture of a school. Using the fundamental principles of Professional Learning Communities, the research analyzed what collaborative practices were implemented and if they were successful as cultural change agents. Section one discusses the different…

Investigating the Development of Professional Learning Communities: Compare Schools in Shanghai and Southwest China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Jia; Pang, Nicholas Sun-Keung

2016-01-01

This quantitative study investigated and compared the development of professional learning communities in schools located in two Chinese cities, namely, Shanghai and Mianyang. The two cities have significant differences in terms of educational, economic, social, and cultural development. While Shanghai is a directly controlled municipality in East…

A Professional Experience Learning Community for Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Michael S.; Garvey, Thomas

2012-01-01

This paper reports the development and implementation of a collaborative professional experience learning community for a group of nine pre-service secondary mathematics teachers. The pre-service teachers and their methods lecturer made 12 school visits over one academic year to a local secondary school. The pre-service teachers observed and…

Preparing School Administrators to Lead Technology Rich Professional Learning Communities in the Digital Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branch, Mary Grace

2011-01-01

This study explores the coaching experiences of educational administrators in an attempt to gain greater understanding of how they develop the necessary skills to implement, lead, and support technology rich professional learning communities (PLCs). Participants came from a mix of urban, rural, and suburban school districts. Using semi-structured…

Challenges of Teacher Collaboration within a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seisay, Benson M.

2013-01-01

The professional learning community (PLC) is a powerful tool in education, one that is intended to reform failing schools and improve student achievement. This research gathered data to determine teacher perceptions about challenges of teacher collaboration within a PLC school. The key conceptual framework for this case study originated from work…

Digging Deeper: Professional Learning Can Go beyond the Basics to Reach Underserved Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleason, Sonia Caus

2010-01-01

Consistent, excellent teaching is the single greatest factor in improving student achievement over time. School leadership is the second. Excellent teaching and strong leadership require deliberate, ongoing professional learning. In working with high-poverty school systems over time, the following basics emerge: (1) time; (2) content; (3)…

Exploring Tensions in Developing Assessment for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Mary; Jones, Jane

2009-01-01

This paper is based on a study of classroom practice of primary school teachers who were engaged in a programme of professional development to implement formative assessment in their classrooms. The programme sought to develop the skills and expertise of teachers to enable formative assessment to be used to support and improve the learning of…

Investing in Teachers to Invest in Themselves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummings, Greg

2011-01-01

This article examines the characteristics of self-directed learning as they apply to the Award in Mentoring (AIM), a school-based professional development program with teachers as adult learners. A short introduction to self-directed learning is presented followed by a look at the design of AIM and how AIM addresses some self-directed learning…

Confidence, Risk, and the Journey into Praxis: Work-Based Learning and Teacher Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iredale, Alison; Orr, Kevin; Bailey, Wayne; Wormald, Jane

2013-01-01

This article examines the relationship between confidence and risk in relation to the initial education and continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers. The context for this examination is the Lifelong Learning Sector (LLS) in England, which sits between secondary schools and universities, and the discussion is illustrated with data…

"The Teacher Education Conversation": A Network of Cooperating Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Wendy S.; Triggs, Valerie; Clarke, Anthony; Collins, John

2010-01-01

This study investigated a professional learning community of cooperating teachers and university-based teacher educators. To examine our roles and perspectives as colleagues in teacher education, we drew on frameworks in teacher learning and complexity science. Monthly group meetings of this inquiry community were held over two school years in a…

The Impact of Creative Learning Environments on Learners: A Systematic Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jindal-Snape, Divya; Davies, Dan; Collier, Chris; Howe, Alan; Digby, Rebecca; Hay, Penny

2013-01-01

This article is based on a systematic review of educational research, policy and professional literature relating to creative environments for learning in schools. Despite the search yielding 210 documents, comparatively few empirical studies were published between 2005 and 2011 that addressed the review objectives. Only 18 studies included in the…

Community Mapping in Action: Uncovering Resources and Assets for Young Children and Their Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ordonez-Jasis, Rosario; Myck-Wayne, Janice

2012-01-01

Community mapping is a promising practice that can assist early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) professionals uncover the depth and diversity of community needs, resources, and learning opportunities, in the neighborhoods surrounding their schools. Community mapping is an inquiry-based method that situates learning in the…

Professional Learning and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obamehinti, Feyi

2017-01-01

Schools across the nation know the importance of student achievement; which is at the core of teaching and learning. Here in Texas, we have an accountability rating system that helps gauge how well students are doing annually. Texas accountability system is based on a system of indexes that provides an all-inclusive assessment of the performance…

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…

Experiences and Perceptions of Professional Development Facilitators in a Job-Embedded School Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashariki, Kaia Mariama

2017-01-01

Recent legislation and accountability efforts in K-12 schools have increased the need to support and maintain high-quality teachers through enhanced professional development and teacher training efforts. As districts and schools seek new and innovative ways to provide professional learning opportunities that are real-time and effective,…

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.

Learning about Teacher Professional Learning: Case Studies of Schools at Work in New South Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCulla, Norman; Gereige-Hinson, Josephine

2005-01-01

The extent of the human and financial resources that teachers have access to for their professional development, and the extent to which they have the capacity to determine when, how and with whom learning takes place, are key factors in determining the quality of professional learning that results. The New South Wales Department of Education and…

Professional Learning Communities: An Analysis of Fifth Grade Special Education Student Achievement and Teacher Longevity in Two Texas School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thacker, Teresa D.

2013-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an emerging form of professional learning used nationwide as a means for educators to focus on job-embedded learning. Extensive qualitative data have been compiled regarding the perception of educators and PLCs. However, little quantitative research has been conducted regarding the academic achievement…

Show Me the Evidence: How a Unit Challenge Can Support Middle School Teachers and Students in Investigating Climate Change Using Real-World Data and Science Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gochis, E. E.; Tubman, S.; Grazul, K.; Bluth, G.; Huntoon, J. E.

2017-12-01

Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform (Mi-STAR) is developing an NGSS-aligned integrated science middle school curriculum and associated teacher professional learning program that addresses all performance expectations for the 6-8 grade-band. The Mi-STAR instructional model is a unit- and lesson-level model that scaffolds students in using science practices to investigate scientific phenomena and apply engineering principles to address a real-world challenge. Mi-STAR has developed an 8th grade unit on climate change based on the Mi-STAR instructional model and NGSS performance expectations. The unit was developed in collaboration with Michigan teachers, climate scientists, and curriculum developers. The unit puts students in the role of advisers to local officials who need an evidence-based explanation of climate change and recommendations about community-based actions to address it. Students discover puzzling signs of global climate change, ask questions about these signs, and engage in a series of investigations using simulations and real data to develop scientific models for the mechanisms of climate change. Students use their models as the basis for evidence-based arguments about the causes and impacts of climate change and employ engineering practices to propose local actions in their community to address climate change. Dedicated professional learning supports teachers before and during implementation of the unit. Before implementing the unit, all teachers complete an online self-paced "unit primer" during which they assume the role of their students as they are introduced to the unit challenge. During this experience, teachers experience science as a practice by using real data and simulations to develop a model of the causes of climate change, just as their students will later do. During unit implementation, teachers are part of a professional learning community led by a teacher facilitator in their local area or school. This professional learning community serves as a resource both for implementing student-directed pedagogy and for the development of content knowledge. Eight teachers pilot tested the unit with more than 500 students in spring 2017, and teachers who participated in the first professional learning cohort are currently implementing the unit around Michigan.

To What Extent Do School Leaders in Slovenia Understand Physical School Environments as a Learning Factor?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cencic, Majda

2017-01-01

School leaders are a central factor of the quality of learning and teaching in schools. It is generally believed that the staff model their behaviour on leaders, which means if school leaders understand the physical school environment to be an important factor of learning, school staff (teachers and other professional staff) will also do so. To…

The Effects of the New Hampshire Department of Education ED 512 Professional Development Master Plan and Recertification on Growth of Professional Learning Communities in Local Districts and Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forsman, Malcolm

2010-01-01

This quantitative study examined the effects of a New Hampshire Department of Education policy, Ed 512. This mandated state policy was designed to influence local district leadership to facilitate the development of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at the school level with the goal of improving instruction in the classroom. For this study…

Back to the Future: Do Lessons from Finland Point the Way to a Return to Model Schools for Northern Ireland?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Anne; Clarke, Linda

2012-01-01

The paper examines the school-based element of initial teacher education (ITE) and the ways in which it contributes to the professional learning of student teachers in Finland (University of Helsinki) and Northern Ireland (University of Ulster). In particular it seeks to assess the potential of Training Schools for Northern Ireland. Universities…

Principals' Perspectives on Designing, Implementing, and Sustaining a Professional Learning Community: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozzini, Michelle D.

2017-01-01

This qualitative study explored how elementary school principals design, implement, and sustain high quality professional development through the use of professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to enhance teaching and learning. The researcher revealed the principal's important role in the design, implementation, and sustainability of a…

Administrators' Professional Learning via Twitter: The Dissonance between Beliefs and Actions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Vincent

2016-01-01

Purpose: Although there has been increasing optimism about the potential for social media platforms such as Twitter to support educators' professional learning, it is yet unclear whether such promises hold true. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to explore school administrators' use of Twitter for professional learning.…

The Nature of Professional Learning Communities in New Zealand Early Childhood Education: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherrington, Sue; Thornton, Kate

2015-01-01

Professional learning communities are receiving increasing attention within the schooling sector but empirical research into their development and use within early childhood education contexts is rare. This paper reports initial findings of an exploratory study into the development of professional learning communities in New Zealand's early…

The Importance of Environment for Teacher Professional Learning in Malta and Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attard Tonna, Michelle; Shanks, Rachel

2017-01-01

Current reforms in the Maltese and Scottish educational contexts can only be fully implemented if teachers radically transform the way they teach. Teacher professional learning is an important mechanism that policy-makers, school leaders and administrators have to achieve this. Teacher professional learning is, above all, situated within the…

Rethinking Reflection: Using Online Reflective Learning in Professional Practice for Indigenous Health Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Miranda; Devonshire, Elizabeth

2004-01-01

This paper reports on an innovative use of online learning, within a distributed learning environment (DLE), to support students in an undergraduate programme in Indigenous health and community development to reflect on their experiences in professional placements. The professional practice curriculum at Yooroang Garang School of Indigenous Health…

Educator Effectiveness in Colorado: The Connection between Evaluation and Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Colleen

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand how schools and districts plan professional learning that provides the ongoing feedback and support needed to improve teacher performance under the new Colorado Educator Effectiveness Law. The study focused on the professional learning that follows a teacher's rating on the new educator…

A Blended and Face-to-Face Comparison of Teacher Professional Development: What's the Impact?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leake, Stephanie

2014-01-01

The availability and subsequent expansion in the use of online learning environments has provided a new avenue for teacher professional development: blended learning. While blended learning environments may provide attractive benefits to teachers and school administration, the impact of blended teacher professional development has been largely…

Beyond PD: Teacher Professional Learning in High-Performing Systems. Teacher Quality Systems in Top Performing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Ben; Sonnemann, Julie; Roberts-Hull, Katie; Hunter, Amélie

2016-01-01

This report illustrates how four high-performing systems--British Columbia (Canada), Hong Kong, Shanghai (China) and Singapore--developed their teacher professional learning. The report and accompanying materials are designed as a resource for teachers, school leaders and policymakers wanting to improve teacher professional learning in their…

Grounding formative assessment in high-school chemistry classrooms: Connections between professional development and teacher practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cisterna Alburquerque, Dante Igor

This study describes and analyzes the experiences of two high-school chemistry teachers who participated in a team-based professional development program to learn about and enact formative assessment in their classrooms. The overall purpose of this study is to explain how participation in this professional development influenced both teachers' classroom enactment of formative assessment practices. This study focuses on 1) teachers' participation in the professional development program, 2) teachers' enactment of formative assessment, and 3) factors that enabled or hindered enactment of formative assessment. Drawing on cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and using evidence from teacher lessons, teacher interviews, professional development meetings as data sources, this single embedded case study analyzes how these two teachers who participated in the same learning team and have similar characteristics (i.e., teaching in the same school, teaching the same courses and population of students, and using the same materials) differentially used the professional development learning about formative assessment as mediating tools to improve their classroom instruction. The learning team experience contributed to both teachers' development of a better understanding of formative assessment---especially in recognizing that their current grading and assessment practices were not appropriate to promote student learning---and the co-creation of artifacts to gather evidence of students' ideas. Although both teachers demonstrated understanding about how formative assessment may serve to promote student learning and had a set of tools available to utilize for formative assessment use, they did not enact these tools in the same way. One teacher appropriated formative assessment as mediating tool to verify if the students were following her explanations, and to check if the students were able to provide the correct response. The other teacher used the mediating tool to promote better understanding of students' ideas and her mindset shifted to place more value on the diversity of students' thinking and help them be more aware of their ideas. This study illustrates the complexities of enacting formative assessment practices in particular classrooms because teachers may interpret and use these tools in different ways. Thus, when teachers enacted these mediating tools, their interaction with the activity system's components produced different instructional outcomes and tensions. Similarly, this study describes how the use of artifacts of practice can be a vehicle between professional development and classrooms, especially in early stages of professional development. This study presents implications for professional development and formative assessment research and practice. Professional development needs to support teachers in reflecting on their practice in terms of activity systems, use a solid and research-based understanding of formative assessment, and promote opportunities to teachers to create, enact, and reflect on formative assessment artifacts and tools.

An Assessment of Service-Learning in 34 US Schools of Pharmacy Follow Up on the 2001 Professional Affairs Committee Report

PubMed Central

Schlesselman, Lauren; Borrego, Matthew; Mehta, Bella; Drobitch, Robert K.; Smith, Thomas

2015-01-01

Objective. To determine if the service-learning components used at a convenience sample of schools and colleges of pharmacy meet the intent of the 2001 AACP Professional Affairs Committee (PAC) report. Methods. An online questionnaire was used to survey faculty members or staff involved with service-learning education at their school of pharmacy. Questions addressed aspects of service-learning including types of activities used, duration of student involvement with community partners, and association of learning objectives with service-learning activities. Results. The majority (85.3%) of respondents reported their institution used service-learning. Activities reported as part of service-learning ranged from working at health fairs to involvement with pharmacy school recruitment. More than half (64.3%) of service-learning activities involved long-term interactions with one community partner, and 74.1% of respondents indicated there was always an opportunity for student reflection on the service-learning activity. Conclusion. There is increasing though inconsistent application of PAC guidelines regarding service-learning. PMID:26688584

The Balanced Literacy Diet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willows, Dale

2002-01-01

Describes professional development program in Ontario school district to improve student reading and writing skills. Program used food-pyramid concepts to help teacher learn to provide a balanced and flexible approach to literacy instruction based on student needs. (PKP)

Adult Education and Lifelong Learning in Europe and Beyond: Comparative Perspectives from the 2015 Würzburg Winter School. Studies in Pedagogy, Andragogy, and Gerontagogy. Volume 67

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egetenmeyer, Regina, Ed.

2016-01-01

This volume presents comparisons of adult education and lifelong learning with a focus on educational policies, professionalization in adult education, participation in adult learning and education, quality in adult education, and educational guidance and counselling. The essays are based on comparisons discussed at the international Winter School…

PHOTON2: A web-based professional development model for photonics technology education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massa, Nicholas M.; Washburn, Barbara A.; Kehrhahn, Marijke; Donnelly, Judith F.; Hanes, Fenna D.

2004-10-01

In this paper, we present a web-based teacher professional development model for photonics technology education funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education (ATE) program. In response to the rapidly growing demand for skilled photonics technicians, the PHOTON2 project will increase the number of high school teachers and community college faculty across the US proficient in teaching photonics technology at their own institutions. The project will also focus on building the capacity of educators to engage in lifelong learning through web-based professional development. Unlike the traditional professional development model whereby educators receive training through intensive short-term workshops, the PHOTON2 project team has developed a pedagogical framework designed specifically for adult learners in which technical content, curriculum development, and learner self-regulatory development are integrated into an active, collaborative, and sustained online learning environment. In Spring 2004, two cohorts of science and technology educators, career/guidance counselors, and industry mentors from eleven states including California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, and the six New England states commenced participation in the three-year project. Qualitative and quantitative research, focused on individual and environmental factors related to web-based learning, will examine the viability of web-based teacher/faculty professional development in engineering technology education.

A study of the professional development needs of Shiraz high schools' principals in the area of educational leadership.

PubMed

Hayat, Aliasghar; Abdollahi, Bijan; Zainabadi, Hasan Reza; Arasteh, Hamid Reza

2015-07-01

The increased emphasis on standards-based school accountability since the passage of the no child left behind act of 2001 is focusing critical attention on the professional development of school principals and their ability to meet the challenges of improving the student outcomes. Due to this subject, the current study examined professional development needs of Shiraz high schools principals. The statistical population consisted of 343 principals of Shiraz high schools, of whom 250 subjects were selected using Krejcie and Morgan (1978) sample size determination table. To collect the data, a questionnaire developed by Salazar (2007) was administered. This questionnaire was designed for professional development in the leadership skills/competencies and consisted of 25 items in each leadership performance domain using five-point Likert-type scales. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed and the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was (a=0.78). To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and Paired-Samples t-test were used. Also, the data was analyzed through SPSS14 software. The findings showed that principals' "Importance" ratings were always higher than their "Actual proficiency" ratings. The mean score of the difference between "Importance" and "Actual proficiency" pair on "Organizing resources" was 2.11, making it the highest "need" area. The lowest need area was "Managing the organization and operational procedures" at 0.81. Also, the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the means of the "Importance" and the corresponding means on the "Actual proficiency" (Difference of means=1.48, t=49.38, p<0.001). Based on the obtained results, the most important professional development needs of the principals included organizing resources, resolving complex problems, understanding student development and learning, developing the vision and the mission, building team commitment, understanding measurements, evaluation and assessment strategies, facilitating the change process, solving problems and making decisions. In other words, the principals had statistically significant professional development needs in all areas of the educational leadership. Also, the results suggested that today's school principals need to grow and learn throughout their careers by ongoing professional development.

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.

An Ethnographic Case Study of the Professional Development Model in a Successful Elementary School within a Suburban Southeast Texas School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrzelka, Valerie

2012-01-01

This ethnographic case study was designed to investigate a successful professional development model, perceived effective professional learning and process for determining professional development for teachers. With eighty years of research on professional development, limited research was available on the process for determining professional…

[Children with learning disabilities and handicaps in inclusive schools or in special schools? The view of parents and professionals].

PubMed

Bode, H; Hirner, V

2013-03-01

To investigate the view of parents and professionals on sending children with special educational needs to inclusive schools. 54 preschool children in the year before school entry and 155 school children attending a Social Pediatric Center. They displayed motor-, mental-, speech- or sensory handicaps, learning or behavioral disabilities. Questionnaires for parents of preschool- and of school children and questionnaires for the professional caring for the child were evaluated and compared. Parental expectations, experiences concerning school and the severity of disability were determined. 135 pupils attended special schools and 20 integrative schools. The parents were generally very content with both types of schools despite the fact that 33% of parents had not have a free choice of the school. They had a positive attitude to inclusive education. Preference for inclusive schooling decreased with increasing severity of the child's disability. The severity of disability was rated similar by parents and by professionals. Parents of preschool children tended more often and parents of school children less often than professionals towards sending the individual child to an inclusive school. Some parents of children with special educational needs would like to send their child to a special school, others prefer inclusive schools. It is paramount to improve the professional advice and guidance to parents since parental options to choose the school for their child are increasing in Germany. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Scaling-up an efficacious school-based physical activity intervention: Study protocol for the 'Internet-based Professional Learning to help teachers support Activity in Youth' (iPLAY) cluster randomized controlled trial and scale-up implementation evaluation.

PubMed

Lonsdale, Chris; Sanders, Taren; Cohen, Kristen E; Parker, Philip; Noetel, Michael; Hartwig, Tim; Vasconcellos, Diego; Kirwan, Morwenna; Morgan, Philip; Salmon, Jo; Moodie, Marj; McKay, Heather; Bennie, Andrew; Plotnikoff, Ron; Cinelli, Renata L; Greene, David; Peralta, Louisa R; Cliff, Dylan P; Kolt, Gregory S; Gore, Jennifer M; Gao, Lan; Lubans, David R

2016-08-24

Despite the health benefits of regular physical activity, most children are insufficiently active. Schools are ideally placed to promote physical activity; however, many do not provide children with sufficient in-school activity or ensure they have the skills and motivation to be active beyond the school setting. The aim of this project is to modify, scale up and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention previously shown to be efficacious in improving children's physical activity, fundamental movement skills and cardiorespiratory fitness. The 'Internet-based Professional Learning to help teachers support Activity in Youth' (iPLAY) study will focus largely on online delivery to enhance translational capacity. The intervention will be implemented at school and teacher levels, and will include six components: (i) quality physical education and school sport, (ii) classroom movement breaks, (iii) physically active homework, (iv) active playgrounds, (v) community physical activity links and (vi) parent/caregiver engagement. Experienced physical education teachers will deliver professional learning workshops and follow-up, individualized mentoring to primary teachers (i.e., Kindergarten - Year 6). These activities will be supported by online learning and resources. Teachers will then deliver the iPLAY intervention components in their schools. We will evaluate iPLAY in two complementary studies in primary schools across New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT), involving a representative sample of 20 schools within NSW (1:1 allocation at the school level to intervention and attention control conditions), will assess effectiveness and cost-effectiveness at 12 and 24 months. Students' cardiorespiratory fitness will be the primary outcome in this trial. Key secondary outcomes will include students' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (via accelerometers), fundamental movement skill proficiency, enjoyment of physical education and sport, cognitive control, performance on standardized tests of numeracy and literacy, and cost-effectiveness. A scale-up implementation study guided by the RE-AIM framework will evaluate the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the intervention when delivered in 160 primary schools in urban and regional areas of NSW. This project will provide the evidence and a framework for government to guide physical activity promotion throughout NSW primary schools and a potential model for adoption in other states and countries. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12616000731493 ). Date of registration: June 3, 2016.

Marketable job skills for high school students: what we learned from an evaluation of After School Matters.

PubMed

Alexander, Kendra P; Hirsch, Barton J

2012-01-01

This article summarizes findings from an experimental evaluation of After School Matters (ASM), a paid, apprenticeship-based, after-school program in Chicago for high school students. Analysis of quantitative data from a mock job interview revealed that ASM participants did not demonstrate more marketable job skills than youth in the control group. Qualitative data suggested that the nature of interpersonal interactions and the degree of professional orientation in apprenticeships contributed to variation in marketable job skills across apprenticeships. The article considers the perspective of human resource professionals who participated in the evaluation and describes an interviewing skills curriculum developed in response to the evaluation findings. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

The Use of Two Professional Learning Community Practices in Elementary Classrooms and the English Language Arts Achievement of California's Most At-Risk Student Subgroups in a Southern California School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Carrie Lynn

2007-01-01

This study examines the impact of 2 professional learning community (PLC) classroom practices on the English Language Arts achievement of California's most at-risk subgroups between selected higher- and lower-performing elementary schools in a southern California school district. The conclusions from this study agree with the body of research,…

Is It Personal? Teacher's Personality and the Principal's Role in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benoliel, Pascale; Schechter, Chen

2017-01-01

Research results have provided evidence of the potential contribution that professional learning communities (PLCs) can make to enhance school outcomes. While numerous organizational and cultural aspects of schools have been recognized as key requirements for PLC success, researchers have noted that a teacher's ability to share knowledge in the…

Getting the Right Fit: Designing a Professional Learning Community for Out-of-School Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vance, Femi; Salvaterra, Emily; Michelsen, Jocelyn Atkins; Newhouse, Corey

2016-01-01

A skilled workforce is critical in high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs. However, the workshops commonly used to train OST staff are not adequately preparing practitioners to deliver quality programs that can benefit youth. Professional learning communities (PLCs) are a practice-focused alternative that has a track record of improving…

An Investigation of Leadership in a Professional Learning Community: A Case Study of a Large, Suburban, Public Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liebman, Howard; Maldonado, Nancy; Lacey, Candace H.; Thompson, Steve

2005-01-01

This qualitative case study investigated a large, suburban, public middle school focusing on educators' perceptions of leadership within their professional learning community. Participants included the principal, administrative team, and key faculty members. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and were analyzed by hand coding and…

Principal and Teacher Collaboration: An Exploration of Distributed Leadership in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeMatthews, David

2014-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) can be powerful tools for school improvement but require principals and teachers to collaborate and work together. This article reports on a qualitative multi-case study focused on six elementary schools in West Texas that had been identified for having effective PLCs. Principals and teachers were observed…

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…

Impact of Professional Learning Community Practices on Morale of Urban High School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almanzar, Angel

2014-01-01

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the impact a planned intervention, or participants' engagement in lesson study practices, had on teacher morale and professional learning communities within a public high school located in the Southeastern part of the United States. A review of a yearly teacher survey conducted by the district's…

Implementation of Professional Learning Communities in Title I Elementary Schools and Student Performance in Reading: A Correlational Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Stephanie A.

2016-01-01

Increasing standardized test scores and identifying factors that impact student performance are always on the minds of educators. Educators are continually challenged by experts to consider professional learning communities (PLCs) as a viable pathway to school reform. This treatise will report on the results of a quantitative research study…

Team Check-Up: Use 4 Goals to Assess a Professional Learning Community's Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moirao, Daniel R.; Morris, Susan C.; Klein, Victor; Jackson, Joyce W.

2012-01-01

The experiences in the school districts highlighted in this article clarify a set of broad goals that all professional learning communities can use to assess their effectiveness: (1) Culture; (2) Knowledge; (3) Practice; and (4) Achievement. These schools and districts have an ongoing commitment to all four goals. All of them have instituted…

Teacher Perspectives about Lesson Study in Secondary School Departments: A Collaborative Vehicle for Professional Learning and Practice Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cajkler, Wasyl; Wood, Phil; Norton, Julie; Pedder, David; Xu, Haiyan

2015-01-01

Two departments in a secondary school in England participated in "lesson study" projects over a five-month period to explore its usefulness as a vehicle for professional development. Through a cycle of two research lessons, conducted separately in each department, teachers identified challenges that inhibited the learning of their…

Building Your Personal Learning Network (PLN): 21st-Century School Librarians Seek Self-Regulated Professional Development Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreillon, Judi

2016-01-01

For school librarians, being part of a "connected" community provides support for getting specific needs met, solving personally relevant and meaningful problems, and developing professional expertise. AASL provides many avenues for members of the profession to learn with and from one another. These include AASL and subgroup electronic…

Identifying Professional Development Environment for Mentor Teachers at a Learning Centre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, May May-hung; Yeung, Yau-Yuen

2010-01-01

This paper argues with evidence that conditions for teacher professional development can be enhanced for mentor teachers through a Learning Centre (LC) project which has been introduced in Hong Kong as a collaborative project between the government, a primary school, a secondary school, and the Hong Kong Institute of Education. The LC teachers…

A Study of District Leadership Practices in the Principal Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Danielle G.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study was implemented in an urban, Title I school district in the southern portion of the United States. The problem the study addressed was that the various phenomena pertaining to the implementation of the principal professional learning community (PPLC), as perceived by the 14 participating elementary school principals, had not…

Competencies for the provision of comprehensive medication management services in an experiential learning project

PubMed Central

de Freitas, Erika Lourenço; Ramalho de Oliveira, Djenane

2017-01-01

Objective To understand students’ and tutors’ perceptions of the development of clinical competencies for the delivery of comprehensive medication management services in an experiential learning project linked to a Brazilian school of pharmacy. Methods An autoethnographic qualitative study was carried out based on participant observation, focus groups and individual interviews with students and tutors involved in an experiential learning project. Results The study revealed the development of competencies related to the philosophy of practice, the pharmacotherapy workup of drug therapy and interprofessional relationships. Conclusions The experiential learning project contributed to the professional development of pharmacy students in pharmaceutical care practice, pointing to its potential benefits for incorporation into professional pharmacy curricula. PMID:28950021

Competencies for the provision of comprehensive medication management services in an experiential learning project.

PubMed

Mendonça, Simone de Araújo Medina; Freitas, Erika Lourenço de; Ramalho de Oliveira, Djenane

2017-01-01

To understand students' and tutors' perceptions of the development of clinical competencies for the delivery of comprehensive medication management services in an experiential learning project linked to a Brazilian school of pharmacy. An autoethnographic qualitative study was carried out based on participant observation, focus groups and individual interviews with students and tutors involved in an experiential learning project. The study revealed the development of competencies related to the philosophy of practice, the pharmacotherapy workup of drug therapy and interprofessional relationships. The experiential learning project contributed to the professional development of pharmacy students in pharmaceutical care practice, pointing to its potential benefits for incorporation into professional pharmacy curricula.

Heeding the CALL (Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning): An Inquiry into Instructional Collaboration among School Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Min, Sookweon; Modeste, Marsha E.; Salisbury, Jason; Goff, Peter T.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine what school leadership practices are associated with a school's level of instructional collaboration among school professionals and also investigates what school characteristics are linked to the level of instructional collaboration in a school. Design/methodology/approach: This study drew data from…

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…

Learner Orientation through Professional Development of Teachers? Empirical Results from Cascade Training in Anglophone Cameroon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lange, Sarah

2014-01-01

This paper examines the effects of a professional development programme on the attitudes towards the teaching and learning of teachers in the Anglophone part of Cameroon. The development programme combines a multiplier system with school-based in-service training. The research compares the effects that the training had on the attitudes of three…

Assessing the Learning Needs of Student Teachers in Texas regarding Management of the Agricultural Mechanics Laboratory: Implications for the Professional Development of Early Career Teachers in Agricultural Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saucier, P. Ryan; McKim, Billy R.

2011-01-01

Skills needed to manage a laboratory are essential knowledge for all school-based, agriculture teachers who instruct agricultural mechanics curriculum (Saucier, Terry, & Schumacher, 2009). This research investigated the professional development needs of Texas agricultural education student teachers regarding agricultural mechanics laboratory…

Characteristics of Effective Professional Development: A Checklist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunzicker, Jana

2010-01-01

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

Measuring the utility of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Academy Measurement Tool in assessing the development of K-8 STEM academies as professional learning communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irish, Teresa J.

The aim of this study was to provide insights addressing national concerns in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education by examining how a set of six perimeter urban K-12 schools were transformed into STEM-focused professional learning communities (PLC). The concept of a STEM Academy as a STEM-focused PLC emphasizes the development of a STEM culture where professional discourse and teaching are focused on STEM learning. The STEM Academies examined used the STEM Academy Measurement Tool and Rubric (Tool) as a catalyst for discussion and change. This Tool was developed with input from stakeholders and used for school-wide initiatives, teacher professional development and K-12 student engagement to improve STEM teaching and learning. Two primary goals of this study were to assess the levels of awareness and use of the tool by all stakeholders involved in the project and to determine how the Tool assisted in the development and advancement of these schools as STEM PLCs. Data from the STEM Academy Participant Survey was analyzed to determine stakeholders' perceptions of the Tool in terms of (i) how aware stakeholders were of the Tool, (ii) whether they participated in the use of the Tool, (iii) how the characteristics of PLCs were perceived in their schools, and finally (iv) how the awareness of the Tool influenced teachers' perceptions of the presence of PLC characteristics. Findings indicate that school faculty were aware of the Tool on a number of different levels and evidence exists that the use of the Tool assisted in the development of STEM Academies, however impact varied from school to school. Implications of this study suggest that the survey should be used for a longer period of time to gain more in-depth knowledge on teachers' perceptions of the Tool as a catalyst across time. Additional findings indicate that the process for using the Tool should be ongoing and involve the stakeholders to have the greatest impact on school culture. This research contributes to the knowledge base related to building STEM PLCs aimed at improving K-12 teacher content and pedagogical knowledge as well as student learning and achievement in STEM education.

School Culture and Leadership of Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Daniel

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore supportive and shared leadership structures at schools as a function of school culture policies and procedures. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study was conducted at three secondary schools in the Midwestern USA. Administrators and teachers were interviewed, professional learning…

"Trying to Decide … What Sort of Teacher I Wanted to Be": Mentoring as a Dialogic Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talbot, Debra; Denny, Jane; Henderson, Sarah

2018-01-01

Mentoring of pre-service teachers in school contexts is acknowledged as an important part of initial teacher education. However, finding sufficient school-based professional experience placements for pre-service teachers, ensuring the quality of the learning experiences provided by such placements, and gaining a clear understanding of what…

Enhancing Middle School Science Lessons with Playground Activities: A Study of the Impact of Playground Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Lawrence B.; Margolin, Jonathan; Swanlund, Andrew; Dhillon, Sonica; Liu, Feng

2017-01-01

Playground Physics is a technology-based application and accompanying curriculum designed by New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) to support middle school students' science engagement and learning of force, energy, and motion. The program includes professional development, the Playground Physics app, and a curriculum aligned with New York State…

A School-Based Project in Five Kindergartens: The Case of Teacher Development and School Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling Li, Yuen

2004-01-01

Kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong are blamed for not putting child-initiated learning theory into practice. Their competence is challenged. An earlier study ( Li, 2003 ) suggested that the professional development of kindergarten teachers was limited by their inability to extend thinking beyond their own personal concerns so that the needs of the…

Green Pays Its Way--Performance-Based Fees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Cameron M.; Eubank, Huston

2002-01-01

Reports that giving building and design professionals a financial incentive to create high-efficiency schools has proven to be a winning strategy for both the firms that design and build schools and the students who learn in them. Discusses a group of educators who had heard about the effects of natural lighting and ventilation on student and…

K-5 Mentor Teachers' Journeys toward Reform-Oriented Science within a Professional Development School Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manno, Jacqueline L.

2011-01-01

Reform-oriented science teaching with a specific focus on evidence and explanation provides a student-centered learning environment which encourages children to question, seek answers to those questions, experience phenomena, share ideas, and develop explanations of science concepts based on evidence. One of the ways schools have risen to meet the…

Embodied Learning and School-Based Physical Culture: Implications for Professionalism and Practice in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorburn, Malcolm; Stolz, Steven

2017-01-01

We write as critical theorists, who consider that in terms of scoping out robust conceptual elaborations which are suitable for contemporary schooling, that physical education has ground to make up connecting theory with practice and practice with theory. We advocate that aspects of existentialism and phenomenology can provide a theoretically…

Meeting the Learning Needs of Students: A Rural High-Need School District's Systemic Leadership Development Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Browne-Ferrigno, Tricia; Maynard, Brenda

2005-01-01

The Principals Excellence Program (PEP), a cohort-based professional development project for administrator-certified practitioners, is one of 24 projects across the United States supported by federal funds from the No Child Left Behind legislation. The three-year program is conducted through a partnership between Pike County School District, a…

"Teaching Is a Lot More than Just Showing up to Class and Grading Assignments": Preparing Middle-Level Teachers for Longevity in the Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Overschelde, James P.; Saunders, Jane M.; Ash, Gwynne Ellen

2017-01-01

The university's teacher preparation program has implemented and continually refined a professional development school program, with extended university-school relationships in its middle-level certification program. This program offers dialogue, targeted learning activities, and intensive field-based experiences to help ease preservice teachers…

Influences of Constructivist-Oriented Nutrition Education on Urban Middle School Students' Nutrition Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaughtry, Nate; Fahlman, Mariane; Martin, Jeffrey J.; Shen, Bo

2011-01-01

Background: Health professionals are looking to nutrition-based youth health interventions in K-12 schools to combat the growing obesity crisis; however, none have explored the influences of interventions guided by constructivist learning theory. Purpose: This study examined the influences of a constructivist-oriented nutrition education program…

STEAM Enacted: A Case Study of a Middle School Teacher Implementing STEAM Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herro, Danielle; Quigley, Cassie

2016-01-01

This paper examines the implementation practices of a 6th grade middle school teacher enacting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) teaching in his classroom after participating in a 45-hour STEAM professional development. Case study is used to detail the process, successes, and challenges. Project-based learning, technology…

Teacher Evaluation Processes in Lebanon's Catholic Schools: A Problem-Based Learning Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wakim, Antonio Joseph

2013-01-01

Teacher effectiveness has been on the decline in Catholic schools in Lebanon due to many factors, including, the lack of efficiency and competency of teachers and the lack of professional development opportunities. Much of this is due to the absence of an effective teacher evaluation system. As a result, many unqualified teachers are becoming…

Tapping Technology's Potential: Shrinking Budgets, Looming Standards, and a Dizzying Array of Innovations Are Changing the Professional Learning Landscape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killion, Joellen

2013-01-01

As the call for professional learning that incorporates ongoing feedback and support increases and resources to address that need decline, more states, districts, schools, and individuals are turning to technology. Technology creates significant opportunities for more focused professional learning, especially when it is effectively integrated into…

Can Online Learning Communities Achieve the Goals of Traditional Professional Learning Communities? What the Literature Says. Summary. REL 2013-003

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blitz, Cynthia L.

2013-01-01

Professional learning communities (PLCs)--teams of educators who get together regularly to exchange ideas--have sprung up to meet school districts' growing interest in promoting professional development that engages teachers and administrators. PLCs meet to develop lesson plans, monitor student progress, assess instructional effectiveness, and…

Pilot Program Aims High: Challenges en Route Help District Find Success in Measuring Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celeste, Eric

2017-01-01

Denver Public Schools' Professional Learning Center was still relatively new when it decided to tackle a problem of practice that has vexed systems and departments across the country: How to measure the impact of professional learning. To do so, the Professional Learning Center created a new comprehensive measurement approach--one that would…

Remembering Math: The Design of Digital Learning Objects to Spark Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halverson, Richard; Wolfenstein, Moses; Williams, Caroline C.; Rockman, Charles

2009-01-01

This article describes how the design of digital learning objects can spark professional learning. The challenge was to build learning objects that would help experienced special education teachers, who had been teaching in math classes, to demonstrate their proficiency in middle and secondary school mathematics on the PRAXIS examination. While…

Opportunities and Challenges for Teacher Professional Development: A Case of Collaborative Learning Community in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Minjeong; So, Kyunghee

2014-01-01

This study investigates how characteristics of a collaborative professional learning activity support and hinder teacher learning and growth by examining the experiences of three Korean secondary teachers who participated in a school-initiated collaborative teacher learning project. The findings demonstrated that this learning opportunity…

Job requirements compared to dental school education: impact of a case-based learning curriculum.

PubMed

Keeve, Philip L; Gerhards, Ute; Arnold, Wolfgang A; Zimmer, Stefan; Zöllner, Axel

2012-01-01

Case-based learning (CBL) is suggested as a key educational method of knowledge acquisition to improve dental education. The purpose of this study was to assess graduates from a patient-oriented, case-based learning (CBL)-based curriculum as regards to key competencies required at their professional activity. 407 graduates from a patient-oriented, case-based learning (CBL) dental curriculum who graduated between 1990 and 2006 were eligible for this study. 404 graduates were contacted between 2007 and 2008 to self-assess nine competencies as required at their day-to-day work and as taught in dental school on a 6-point Likert scale. Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables. To determine whether dental education sufficiently covers the job requirements of physicians, we calculated the mean difference ∆ between the ratings of competencies as required in day-to-day work and as taught in medical school by subtracting those from each other (negative mean difference ∆ indicates deficit; positive mean difference ∆ indicates surplus). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to reveal statistical significance (statistical significance p<0.05). 41.6% recipients of the questionnaire responded (n=168 graduates). A homogeneous distribution quantity of the graduate groups concerning gender, graduation date, professional experience and average examination grade was achieved.Comparing competencies required at work and taught in medical school, CBL was associated with benefits in "Research competence" (∆+0.6) "Interdisciplinary thinking" (∆+0.47), "Dental medical knowledge" (∆+0.43), "Practical dental skills" (∆+0.21), "Team work" (∆+0.16) and "Independent learning/working" (∆+0.08), whereas "Problem-solving skills" (∆-0.07), "Psycho-social competence" (∆-0.66) and "Business competence" (∆-2.86) needed improvement in the CBL-based curriculum. CBL demonstrated benefits with regard to competencies which were highly required in the job of dentists. Psycho-social and business competence deserve closer attention in future curricular development.

Learning Experiences and Gains from Continuing Professional Education and Their Applicability to Work for Japanese Government Officials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noda, Ayaka; Kim, Mikyong Minsun

2014-01-01

This study aims to understand the perceived learning experiences and gains for Japanese government officials from US and Japanese graduate and professional schools, and how applicable their continuing professional education (CPE) is to professional performance. Interview participants were drawn from long-term overseas and domestic fellowship…

Learning to Be a Community: Schools Need Adaptable Models to Create Successful Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ermeling, Bradley A.; Gallimore, Ronald

2013-01-01

Making schools learning places for teachers as well as students is a timeless and appealing vision. The growing number of professional learning communities is a hopeful sign that profound change is on the way. This is the challenge learning communities face: Schools and districts need implementation models flexible enough to adapt to local…

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…

The new and improved learning community at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine resembles that at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

PubMed

Stewart, Rosalyn W; Barker, Allison R; Shochet, Robert B; Wright, Scott M

2007-05-01

In July 2005, a learning community was created at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) to foster camaraderie, networking, advising, mentoring, professionalism, clinical skills, and scholarship--The Colleges. The cultural and structural changes that emerged with the creation of this program have resulted in JHUSOM bearing a resemblance to J. K. Rowling's fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This manuscript will describe the similarities between these two revered schools, and highlight the innovations and improvements made to JHUSOM's learning environment. The intense, stressful, and lengthy professional training required to achieve competency in the practice of medicine and in the practice of witchcraft (albeit fictional) have meaningful parallels. The supportive learning environment at these two schools should afford the next generation of graduates to have an even more enriching experience than those who have come before them.

Networking in medical education: creating and connecting.

PubMed

Supe, Avinash N

2008-03-01

Social networking is being increasingly used as a tool of choice for communications and collaborations in business and higher education. Learning and practice become inseparable when professionals work in communities of practice that create interpersonal bonds and promote collective learning. Individual learning that arises from the critical reconstruction of practice, in the presence of peers and other health professionals, enhances a physician's capability of clinical judgment and evidence-based practice. As such, it would be wise for medical schools, whose responsibility it is to prepare students to make a transition to adult life with the skills they need to succeed in both arenas, to reckon with it.

Portfolios and ICT as Means of Professional Learning in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauge, Trond Eiliv

2006-01-01

Teaching portfolios supported by new learning technologies have increased in importance in Norwegian schools and teacher education. However, the learning potentials of integrated e-portfolios have still to be researched and further developed. This article focuses on professional learning in a teacher education programme reorganised by use of…

Professional Learning Communities: Building Skills, Reinvigorating the Passion, and Nurturing Teacher Wellbeing and "Flourishing" within Significantly Innovative Schooling Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Susanne

2016-01-01

Student-driven "deep learning", teachers as "coaches" and "activators of learning" and positive student-teacher relationships are all part of the changing and significantly innovative educational landscape which requires considerable pedagogical change in teaching and learning processes. Teacher professional learning…

Flipping the Flip

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Patricia Gioffre

2014-01-01

Educators know that students learn better when their teacher considers carefully how young people learn best. Yet, when administrators plan professional development for teachers, the author claims, they often forget to consider how teachers learn best. As principal of a private K-8 school, Scott arranges professional learning for her teachers in a…

E-Mentoring: Enhancing Special Education Teacher Induction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sean J.; Israel, Maya

2010-01-01

Teaching in 21st-century schools cannot easily be separated from technology-based solutions. Instead, technology is increasingly becoming an essential tool for any teacher's toolbox, especially the new teacher who is often considered a digital native. In teacher education and professional development, technology-based learning, or…

Connecting Reflective Practice, Dialogic Protocols, and Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nehring, James; Laboy, Wilfredo T.; Catarius, Lynn

2010-01-01

In recent years, elements of reflective practice have been popularized in state school professional development. As reflective practice has moved into the mainstream, dialogic protocols have been developed by numerous organizations to structure discourse for deep understanding, enhance professional practice and advance organizational learning.…

Lessons from school: what nurse leaders can learn from education.

PubMed

Davies, Nigel

2015-07-01

The drive to improve quality in the education sector is similar to that in health care, and lessons from the schools system are relevant to nursing leadership. This article discusses these shared traits, and details how school improvement was achieved in London and how a model of learning-centred leadership helped to transform pupil attainment in schools that had been performing poorly. Parallels are drawn between the education inspection system undertaken by Ofsted and the hospital inspections undertaken by the Care Quality Commission, and between the practice discipline-based managerial roles of nurse directors and head teachers. The article suggests that a learning-centred approach to improving the quality of patient care is needed, with a focus on the education and continuing professional development of staff.

Accelerated Schools as Professional Learning Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biddle, Julie K.

The goal of the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) is to develop schools in which all children achieve at high levels and all members of the school community engage in developing and fulfilling the school's vision. But to fully implement the ASP model, a school must become a learning community that stresses relationships, shared values, and a…

Data Driven Professional Development Design for Out-of-School Time Educators Using Planetary Science and Engineering Educational Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, J.; Bloom, N.

2017-12-01

Data driven design practices should be the basis for any effective educational product, particularly those used to support STEM learning and literacy. Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) is a five-year NASA-funded (NNX16AC53A) interdisciplinary and cross-institutional partnership to develop and disseminate STEM out-of-school time (OST) curricular and professional development units that integrate planetary science, technology, and engineering. The Center for Science Teaching and Learning at Northern Arizona University, the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center, and the Museum of Science Boston are partners in developing, piloting, and researching the impact of three out of school time units. Two units are for middle grades youth and one is for upper elementary aged youth. The presentation will highlight the data driven development process of the educational products used to provide support for educators teaching these curriculum units. This includes how data from the project needs assessment, curriculum pilot testing, and professional support product field tests are used in the design of products for out of school time educators. Based on data analysis, the project is developing and testing four tiers of professional support for OST educators. Tier 1 meets the immediate needs of OST educators to teach curriculum and include how-to videos and other direct support materials. Tier 2 provides additional content and pedagogical knowledge and includes short content videos designed to specifically address the content of the curriculum. Tier 3 elaborates on best practices in education and gives guidance on methods, for example, to develop cultural relevancy for underrepresented students. Tier 4 helps make connections to other NASA or educational products that support STEM learning in out of school settings. Examples of the tiers of support will be provided.

A Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network: The role of formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooke-Nieves, Natasha Anika

Science education research has consistently shown that elementary teachers have a low self-efficacy and background knowledge to teach science. When they teach science, there is a lack of field experiences and inquiry-based instruction at the elementary level due to limited resources, both material and pedagogical. This study focused on an analysis of a professional development (PD) model designed by the author known as the Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network (CDLN). The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school teacher participants pedagogical content knowledge related to their experiences in a CDLN model. The CDLN model taught formal and informal instruction using a science coach and an informal educational institution. Another purpose for this research included a theoretical analysis of the CDLN model to see if its design enabled teachers to expand their resource knowledge of available science education materials. The four-month-long study used qualitative data obtained during an in-service professional development program facilitated by a science coach and educators from a large natural history museum. Using case study as the research design, four elementary school teachers were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their science coach and museum educator workshop sessions. During the duration of this study, semi-structured individual/group interviews and open-ended pre/post PD questionnaires were used. Other data sources included researcher field notes from lesson observations, museum field trips, audio-recorded workshop sessions, email correspondence, and teacher-created artifacts. The data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged included increased self-efficacy; increased pedagogical content knowledge; increased knowledge of museum education resources and access; creation of a professional learning community; and increased knowledge of science notebooking. Implications for formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform are offered. It is suggested that researchers investigate collaborative coaching through the lenses of organizational learning network theory, and develop professional learning communities with formal and informal educators; and that professional developers in city school systems and informal science institutions work in concert to produce more effective elementary teachers who not only love science but love teaching it.

Evaluation of a Core Team Centred Professional Development Programme for Building a Whole-School Cooperative Problem Solving Approach to Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Andrew Jonathan; Wertheim, Eleanor H.; Freeman, Elizabeth; Trinder, Margot

2013-01-01

This study evaluated a professional learning approach using a core team (CT) model to assist primary (elementary) schools to develop whole-school collaborative conflict resolution processes. Thirteen schools were matched and randomly assigned to the enhancing relationships in school communities programme ("n"?=?10) or a non-programme…

Transforming Our Schools: Lessons from the Jefferson County Public Schools/Gheens Professional Development Academy, 1983-1991.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyle, Regina M. J.

A school/community partnership in Louisville, Kentucky, the Jefferson County Public Schools/Gheens Professional Development Academy, is described. This report provides a framework for assessing Jefferson County School System reforms in the past 8 years or more designed to enhance student success in learning. A Spiral of Assessment was used to…

An Implementation of a Twitter-Supported Personal Learning Network to Individualize Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deyamport, W. H., III.

2013-01-01

In this action research study, eight teachers at an elementary school were trained in the use of Twitter to support the development of a personal learning network as a strategy to address non-differentiated professional development at the school. The main research question for this study was: In what ways, if any, can the use of a…

A Case Study of How Professional Learning Communities Influence Morale and Rigor in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Jessica S.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how professional learning communities influence teacher morale and rigor in the classroom. Participants of the study consisted of six to eight core subject teachers from two 4-A high school campuses in southeast Texas. Two focus group interviews were conducted, one at each school, and…

Teachers' Perceptions and Implementation of Professional Learning Communities in a Large Suburban High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peppers, Gloria J.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions prior to the implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) and after the implementation of PLCs in a large suburban high school. The goal was to provide information that focused on (a) retention and achievement of students, (b) retention of teachers, and (c) teachers'…

The Relationship between Professional Learning Communities, Personal Teacher Efficacy, and Student Achievement at the High School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Sherri L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if there was a relationship between professional learning community (PLC), personal teacher efficacy (PTE), and student achievement. The study examined teacher perception of PLC implementation and PET as it related to student achievement at the high school level on the Virginia End-of Course…

Examining the Sustainability of Teacher Learning Following a Year-Long Science Professional Development Programme for Inservice Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drits-Esser, Dina; Gess-Newsome, Julie; Stark, Louisa A.

2017-01-01

This two-year, mixed-methods study explored teacher learning during a year-long professional development programme and during the year following the programme. The study examined patterns of change in primary school teachers' inquiry practices, inquiry beliefs and physical science content knowledge during both years as well as the effects of…

A longitudinal study of health professional students' attitudes towards interprofessional education at an American university.

PubMed

Wong, Risa Liang; Fahs, Deborah Bain; Talwalkar, Jaideep S; Colson, Eve R; Desai, Mayur M; Kayingo, Gerald; Balanda, Matthew; Luczak, Anthony G; Rosenthal, Marjorie S

2016-01-01

Efforts to improve interprofessional education (IPE) are informed by attitudes of health professional students, yet there are limited US data on student characteristics and experiences associated with positive attitudes towards IPE. A cohort of US medical, nursing, and physician associate students was surveyed in their first and third years, using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale and Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale. Information was also collected on demographics and experiences during training. Health professional students differed in their attitudes towards IPE; characteristics associated with having more positive attitudes at both time points included being a nursing student, female, older, and having more previous healthcare experience. Students who participated in interprofessional extracurricular activities (particularly patient-based activities) during training reported more positive attitudes in the third year than those who did not participate in such activities. Based on these findings, schools may consider how student characteristics and participation in interprofessional extracurricular activities can affect attitudes regarding IPE. Building on the positive elements of this interprofessional extracurricular experience, schools may also want to consider service-learning models of IPE where students work together on shared goals.

Continuous Inquiry Meets Continued Critique: The Professional Learning Community in Practice and the Resistance of (Un)Willing Participants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elbousty, Youness; Bratt, Kirstin

2010-01-01

The term Professional Learning Community is commonplace, and it holds many meanings and suggestions. For the purpose of this essay, however, we discuss a specific Professional Learning Community (PLC) that was established in a high school, fifteen months prior to the application of a survey instrument to evaluate participants' perceptions on the…

A Study of Primary Teachers Participating in Professional Learning Communities with a Focus on Brain Compatible Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bachman, Karen S.

2012-01-01

This dissertation is the result of research which examined the implementation of professional learning communities in a primary school. Professional learning communities or PLCs are groups of educators coming together collaboratively in a process of inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. While there were…

Leading for Change: Creating a Professional Learning Community for Collaborative Relationships and Shared Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Linda

2013-01-01

This action research study examines school reform through the development of a professional learning community for teacher-leaders. Through action research, this study organized a select group of teacher-leaders into a professional learning community to engage in a series of readings through a book club. The purpose of the book club was to develop…

Coaching Discourse: Supporting Teachers' Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heineke, Sally F.

2013-01-01

Although coaching is used in many schools to facilitate teachers' professional learning, few studies look closely at coaching discourse. Exploring how coaching facilitates teachers' professional development, this study used tape-recorded coaching sessions and individual post-interviews to examine the one-on-one coaching interactions of 4…

Discussing Science in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Emily; Rosenman, Amelia

2017-01-01

Teachers who participate in the Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability (TISS) at the California Academy of Sciences commit to intensive professional development--that is, two two-week summer sessions, four evening workshops, and four Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings throughout each school year--focused on creating more…

The Factors that Affect Science Teachers' Participation in Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roux, Judi Ann

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

Out of Isolation and into Collaboration: Sustaining the Work of Professional Learning Communities in a Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Christopher M.

2013-01-01

In the 21st century, increased school accountability has sharpened the focus of school and district leaders on improving instructional practice to raise student achievement. The implementation of professional leaning communities (PLCs) is one improvement effort in which schools establish collaborative cultures focused on increasing student…

Mary E. Hall: Dawn of the Professional School Librarian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alto, Teresa

2012-01-01

A century ago, a woman named Mary E. Hall convinced school leaders of the need for the professional school librarian--a librarian who cultivated a love of reading, academic achievement, and independent learning skills. After graduating from New York City's Pratt Institute Library School in 1895, Hall developed her vision for the high school…

Teachers' Perception of a Professional Learning Community Model and Its Impact on Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stollar, Lori J.

2014-01-01

This study of a suburban school district in south central Pennsylvania employed a mixed method design to explore teachers' perceptions of their professional learning community (PLC) and the impact of such on teaching effectiveness and student learning. Perceptual data was collected through the Learning Community Culture Indicator (LCCI) teacher…

No, management is not a profession.

PubMed

Barker, Richard

2010-01-01

Because managers hold a status in society similar to that of doctors and lawyers, it is natural to think of business as a profession--and of business schools as professional schools. But, argues Barker, a professor at Cambridge University's Judge Business School, that can lead to inappropriate analysis and misguided perceptions. We turn to professionals for advice, he writes, because they have knowledge that we don't. We trust their advice because they've been guaranteed by professional associations that establish the boundaries of the field and reach consensus on what body of learning is required for formal training and certification. These associations make a market for professional services feasible. Although business schools might be able to reach consensus on what they should teach, the proper question is whether what they teach qualifies students to manage. After all, successful businesses are commonly run by people without MBAs. Managers' roles are inherently general, variable, and indefinable; their core skill is to integrate across functional areas, groups of people, and circumstances. Integration is learned in the minds of MBA students, whose experiences and careers are widely diverse, rather than taught in the content of program modules. Thus business education must be highly collaborative, with grading downplayed, and learning must differ according to the stage of a student's career. Business schools are not professional schools. They are incubators for business leadership.

Educating Professional Musicians: Lessons Learned from School Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carruthers, Glen

2008-01-01

Music in Canadian schools at one time focused on skills development. Building on talent, aptitude, prior learning and physical coordination, students would become better at singing or playing an instrument by studying it at school. Over time, new approaches to music teaching and learning opened the umbrella to a more comprehensive range of…

Developing Schools as Professional Learning Communities: The TL21 Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Anthony; Smith, Gregory

2010-01-01

Over the last 2 decades, Irish schooling and society have gone through a period of significant structural and policy-driven change. To meet the emerging needs of the knowledge/learning society, schools and teachers are challenged to develop their capacities as "active learning communities". This places greater demands on teachers and…

Navigating the Complex Practices of Specialized Literacy Professionals in Formalized Teacher Leadership Positions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yurkewecz, Thea A.

2017-01-01

This dissertation reports on how one school community engaged in a professional development grant initiative that incorporated teacher leadership. Teacher leaders may have numerous roles and responsibilities that support the professional learning and instructional practices of school communities. This study examined the experiences of three…

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…

Intergenerational Professional Relationships in Elementary School Teams: A Social Network Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geeraerts, Kendra; Van den Bossche, Piet; Vanhoof, Jan; Moolenaar, Nienke

2017-01-01

This paper examines the extent to which school team members' professional relationships are affected by being part of a certain generational cohort. These professional relationships provide opportunities for intergenerational knowledge flows and can therefore be relevant for intergenerational learning. Nowadays these topics have gained more…

Scaling up Professional Learning: Technical Expectations and Adaptive Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbs, Christina L.; Ippolito, Jacy; Charner-Laird, Megin

2017-01-01

In order to be effective, professional development efforts are most promising if they are context specific and focus on supporting collaboration. Increasingly, schools initiate professional development with small groups of teachers, with the intention that the effects of the initiatives will spill over to other school personnel. This study follows…

Impacts of Professional Development in Classroom Assessment on Teacher and Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randel, Bruce; Apthorp, Helen; Beesley, Andrea D.; Clark, Tedra F.; Wang, Xin

2016-01-01

The authors describe an impact study of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (CASL), a widely used professional development program in classroom and formative assessment. Researchers randomly assigned 67 elementary schools to receive CASL materials or continue with regularly scheduled professional development. Teachers in CASL schools formed…

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…

A study of the professional development needs of Shiraz high schools’ principals in the area of educational leadership

PubMed Central

HAYAT, ALIASGHAR; ABDOLLAHI, BIJAN; ZAINABADI, HASAN REZA; ARASTEH, HAMID REZA

2015-01-01

Introduction The increased emphasis on standards-based school accountability since the passage of the no child left behind act of 2001 is focusing critical attention on the professional development of school principals and their ability to meet the challenges of improving the student outcomes. Due to this subject, the current study examined professional development needs of Shiraz high schools principals. Methods The statistical population consisted of 343 principals of Shiraz high schools, of whom 250 subjects were selected using Krejcie and Morgan (1978) sample size determination table. To collect the data, a questionnaire developed by Salazar (2007) was administered. This questionnaire was designed for professional development in the leadership skills/competencies and consisted of 25 items in each leadership performance domain using five-point Likert-type scales. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed and the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was (a=0.78). To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and Paired-Samples t-test were used. Also, the data was analyzed through SPSS14 software. Results The findings showed that principals’ “Importance” ratings were always higher than their “Actual proficiency” ratings. The mean score of the difference between “Importance” and “Actual proficiency” pair on “Organizing resources” was 2.11, making it the highest “need” area. The lowest need area was “Managing the organization and operational procedures” at 0.81. Also, the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the means of the “Importance” and the corresponding means on the “Actual proficiency” (Difference of means=1.48, t=49.38, p<0.001). Conclusion Based on the obtained results, the most important professional development needs of the principals included organizing resources, resolving complex problems, understanding student development and learning, developing the vision and the mission, building team commitment, understanding measurements, evaluation and assessment strategies, facilitating the change process, solving problems and making decisions. In other words, the principals had statistically significant professional development needs in all areas of the educational leadership. Also, the results suggested that today’s school principals need to grow and learn throughout their careers by ongoing professional development. PMID:26269786

Cloud Coaching: Web-Based Learning Holds Promise, Especially for Districts with Limited Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsumura, Lindsay Clare; Bickel, Donna DiPrima; Zook-Howell, Dena; Correnti, Richard; Walsh, Marguerite

2016-01-01

Web-based coaching shows significant promise for linking teachers to highly expert practitioners. This is particularly important in districts that cannot afford to hire full-time school-based coaches or to train and support coaches to be experts in all content areas. While web-based teacher professional development shows a great deal of potential…

Improving Educational Planning for Students with Severe Disabilities: An Evaluation of School-Based Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, Jennifer; Carter, Mark

2015-01-01

The components of quality educational planning for students with moderate and severe intellectual disability are well established, but schools and special educators may not always achieve a desirable standard. This article reports on the change in quality of documentation related to individual planning and programming over a span of 4 years in a…

Leaders as Learners: Developing New Leadership Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aas, Marit

2017-01-01

Professional learning and development of school leaders are considered keys to educational change. However, a growing body of research has identified how difficult it is to design professional leadership programmes that make a difference in leaders' professional practice. Drawing on the framework of expansive learning and data from the six-year…

Teachers Talking Together: The Power of Professional Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathan, Linda

2008-01-01

Schools that encourage teachers to do excellent work, as Boston Arts Academy (BAA) does, are "professional learning communities." A professional learning community exists when the entire faculty and staff, including the administration, work together towards a shared set of standards and assessments that are known to everyone, including…

Measurement Instruments for Assessing the Performance of Professional Learning Communities. REL 2016-144

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blitz, Cynthia L.; Schulman, Rebecca

2016-01-01

For more than a decade education practitioners have promoted the professional learning community (PLC) as an effective way to provide professional development to teachers. As more PLCs are established in schools and districts nationwide, education stakeholders--researchers, practitioners, administrators, and policymakers--are interested in…

Responsibly managing students' learning experiences in student-run clinics: a virtues-based ethical framework.

PubMed

Coverdale, John H; McCullough, Laurence B

2014-01-01

Many medical schools now offer students a distinctive clinical and learning opportunity, the student-run clinic (SRC), in which generalist physicians often play the major role. Although SRCs have become popular, they pose as-yet unexplored ethical challenges for the learning experiences of students. In SRCs students not only take on a significant administrative role especially in coordinating care, but also provide direct patient care for a clinically challenging, biopsychosocially vulnerable, medically indigent population of patients. SRCs provide an exemplar of the ethical challenges of care for such patients. The ethical framework proposed in this article emphasizes that these valued learning opportunities for students should occur in the context of professional formation, with explicit attention to developing the professional virtues, with faculty as role models for these virtues. The valued learning opportunities for students in SRCs should occur in the context of professional formation, with explicit attention to developing the professional virtues of integrity, compassion, self-effacement, self-sacrifice, and courage, which are required for the appropriate care of the vulnerable populations served by SRCs.

The Center for Informal Learning and Schools' Informal Learning Certificate (ILC) Program: Professional Development and Community for Informal Science Educators Working with Schools. An Evaluation Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Anita; Helms, Jenifer V.; St. John, Mark

2007-01-01

Inverness Research Associates served as external evaluators for the Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS) from its inception in 2002 as a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Center for Learning and Teaching. One of the programs that CILS developed was the Informal Learning Certificate (ILC) for informal science educators (mostly…

Can Professional Development Improve School Leadership? Results from a Randomized Control Trial Assessing the Impact of McREL's Balanced Leadership Program on Principals in Rural Michigan Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Robert James; Goddard, Roger D.; Kim, Minjung; Jacob, Robin; Goddard, Yvonne; Schroeder, Patricia

2016-01-01

Purpose: This multiyear experimental study was designed to examine (1) the causal impact of McREL International's Balanced Leadership® Professional Development (BLPD) program on school principals' learning, beliefs, and behaviors and (2) whether there were differences in the types of outcomes the professional development influenced. Outcomes…

What Makes a Good Teacher? The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Digs for Answers with Its Measures of Effective Teaching Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsh, Stephanie

2011-01-01

Vicki Phillips from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation talks with Learning Forward about the foundation's investment in effective teaching and the role of professional learning. Phillips said great teachers are the most important school-based ingredient for student success. So they are committed to ensuring teachers have the supports and tools…

Students' and teachers' perceptions: initial achievements of a Project-Based Engineering School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terrón-López, María-José; Velasco-Quintana, Paloma-Julia; García-García, María-José; Ocampo, Jared R.

2017-11-01

A unified academic model based on the project-based learning (PBL) methodology was implemented, in the 2012-2013 period, in the School of Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether teachers and students participating in the capstone projects feel that the objectives for which this methodology was designed for are being achieved. The data were collected through interviews to participants at the end of the PBL experience. The results are encouraging, as students seem to be more motivated, and they say that they are experiencing deeper learning, and have developed key competitive skills required for their professional lives. Findings also suggest that teachers face positively the PBL as a learning approach since they perceive that students obtain a deeper learning, develop transversal skills with the projects and are more engaged with their studies. Implications and recommendations for the future of the model are also discussed.

The Perceptions of Administrators in the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities: A Case Study in an Oklahoma School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaques, Shelley

2010-01-01

In January of 2002, President George Bush implemented the No Child left behind act that required all students to be proficient on state standards by the year 2014. One way a school district in Oklahoma met these new requirements was through the implementation of the principles of a Professional Learning Community. This case study was designed…

Professional Learning Communities: The Emergence of Vulnerability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Jennifer

2013-01-01

This case study focuses on 11 individual teachers who participate in three distinct professional learning communities (PLCs) within one school. A PLC is "a group of people who take an active, reflective, collaborative, learning-orientated, and growth promoting approach toward the mysteries, problems, and perplexities of teaching and…

ICT, Professional Learning: Towards Communities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Ivan; Robertson, Margaret; Fluck, Andrew

2005-01-01

This article reports on findings from "action research" pilot projects in four Tasmanian primary schools. The projects focused on the provision of professional learning to support the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning. These pilot projects used an approach developed from observations of…

Game on: The gamification of the pharmacy classroom.

PubMed

Sera, Leah; Wheeler, Erin

Gamification is the use of game mechanics to promote engagement and enjoyment of problem-solving in non-game situations. Gamification has been used widely in recent years in industry and academia as a tool for training and education. The aims of this paper are to provide an overview of gamification and digital game-based learning (DGBL), review the use of digital games in health professional education, and provide suggestions for future use in pharmacy curricula. Many examples of game-based learning in pharmacy and other health professional curricula have been published, however the body of literature on DGBL is less developed. Overall, evaluations of these techniques show that students find them engaging and enjoyable. A recent meta-analysis of studies comparing DGBL to non-game based learning in primary, secondary, post-secondary education found that DGBL significantly enhances learning. Challenges to implementing game-based learning are financial, cultural, and technological. Many areas of the pharmacy curriculum could be appropriate for digital gamification. With more students entering pharmacy school familiar with video games and game-based living the time has come for pharmacy educators to explore how these instructional technologies could benefit a new generation of pharmacy students. As serious games are developed and researched in pharmacy curricula, test scores, student confidence in knowledge and skills, and retention of knowledge and skills are all outcomes that, if published, will help advance the adoption of DGBL into the pharmacy school classroom. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) as a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) in Qatar: a Perspective from Grade 10 Chemistry Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treagust, David F.; Qureshi, Sheila S.; Vishnumolakala, Venkat Rao; Ojeil, Joseph; Mocerino, Mauro; Southam, Daniel C.

2018-04-01

Educational reforms in Qatar have seen the implementation of inquiry-based learning and other student-centred pedagogies. However, there have been few efforts to investigate how these adopted western pedagogies are aligned with the high context culture of Qatar. The study presented in this article highlights the implementation of a student-centred intervention called Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in selected independent Arabic government schools in Qatar. The study followed a theoretical framework composed of culturally relevant pedagogical practice and social constructivism in teaching and learning. A mixed method research design involving experimental and comparison groups was utilised. Carefully structured learning materials when implemented systematically in a POGIL intervention helped Grade 10 science students improve their perceptions of chemistry learning measured from pre- and post-tests as measured by the What Is Happening In this Class (WIHIC) questionnaire and school-administered achievement test. The study further provided school-based mentoring and professional development opportunities for teachers in the region. Significantly, POGIL was found to be adaptable in the Arabic context.

Big Bang! An Evaluation of NASA's Space School Musical Program for Elementary and Middle School Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haden, C.; Styers, M.; Asplund, S.

2015-12-01

Music and the performing arts can be a powerful way to engage students in learning about science. Research suggests that content-rich songs enhance student understanding of science concepts by helping students develop content-based vocabulary, by providing examples and explanations of concepts, and connecting to personal and situational interest in a topic. Building on the role of music in engaging students in learning, and on best practices in out-of-school time learning, the NASA Discovery and New Frontiers program in association with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, and KidTribe developed Space School Musical. Space School Musical consists of a set of nine songs and 36 educational activities to teach elementary and middle school learners about the solar system and space science through an engaging storyline and the opportunity for active learning. In 2014, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory contracted with Magnolia Consulting, LLC to conduct an evaluation of Space School Musical. Evaluators used a mixed methods approach to address evaluation questions related to educator professional development experiences, program implementation and perceptions, and impacts on participating students. Measures included a professional development feedback survey, facilitator follow-up survey, facilitator interviews, and a student survey. Evaluation results showed that educators were able to use the program in a variety of contexts and in different ways to best meet their instructional needs. They noted that the program worked well for diverse learners and helped to build excitement for science through engaging all learners in the musical. Students and educators reported positive personal and academic benefits to participating students. We present findings from the evaluation and lessons learned about integration of the arts into STEM education.

In Pursuit of Educational Integrity: Professional Identity Formation in the Harvard Medical School Cambridge Integrated Clerkship.

PubMed

Gaufberg, Elizabeth; Bor, David; Dinardo, Perry; Krupat, Edward; Pine, Elizabeth; Ogur, Barbara; Hirsh, David A

2017-01-01

Graduates of Harvard Medical School's Cambridge Integrated Clerkship (CIC) describe several core processes that may underlie professional identity formation (PIF): encouragement to integrate pre-professional and professional identities; support for learner autonomy in discovering meaningful roles and responsibilities; learning through caring relationships; and a curriculum and an institutional culture that make values explicit. The authors suggest that the benefits of educational integrity accrue when idealistic learners inhabit an educational model that aligns with their own core values, and when professional development occurs in the context of an institutional home that upholds these values. Medical educators should clarify and animate principles within curricula and learning environments explicitly in order to support the professional identity formation of their learners.

Filling the Black Box of Implementation for Health-Promoting Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowling, Louise; Samdal, Oddrun

2011-01-01

Purpose: Achieving organisational learning and greater specificity for implementation action for health-promoting schools requires detailed understanding of the necessary components. They include: preparing and planning for school development, policy and institutional anchoring, professional development and learning, leadership and management…

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Randi

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

Charting New Waters: Collaborating for School Improvement in U.S. High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Melanie; Huss-Lederman, Susan; Sherlock, Wallace

2012-01-01

When professional learning communities (PLCs) are developed to promote the academic achievement of English language learners (ELLs), the results can benefit not only ELLs but the whole school. This article examines the ventures of three high schools that implemented PLCs as part of a Title III National Professional Development Project. The authors…

Teachers--The Professionals in Formal Learning as Practitioners of Informal Workplace Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tikkanen, Tarja

2006-01-01

Schools have been targets for plenty of research, but working life researchers have showed only limited interest in schools as workplaces and as arenas for learning among teachers and other staff. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new study, "Research-supported development work in the schools" by describing its background and…

Women Teachers' Experiences of Learning Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Gill

2013-01-01

Continued concern over attainment and participation in secondary school mathematics has led to a focus on improving the quality of teaching and student outcomes through a variety of professional learning opportunities. A study of teacher professional identity serves to illuminate this learning; this constant process of sensemaking (Day and Kington…

Evaluation of the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities and the Impact on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bostic, Cristi M.

2013-01-01

This dissertation evaluated the implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban school district in North Carolina. The presence of shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collective learning and application, shared personal practice, supportive conditions for relationships, and supportive conditions for…

The Characteristics of Resiliency Development and Adult Learning: Examining Teacher Perspective through Narrative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Painter, Rachel L.

2013-01-01

Originating from the literature on resiliency, adult learning, and professional development, this qualitative study investigated how the relationship between resiliency and adult learning influenced professional development in one suburban-rural school district in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Data represent findings on the perceptions of…

Transformative Professional Learning: A System to Enhance Teacher and Student Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginsberg, Margery B.

2011-01-01

This book's bold new vision for professional learning emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation and respect for cultural diversity to create a transformative approach to school improvement. Knowing that culture and motivation are inseparable influences on learning, Margery B. Ginsberg provides practical steps that focus on teaching and…

Enhancing Self-Efficacy in Elementary Science Teaching With Professional Learning Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mintzes, Joel J.; Marcum, Bev; Messerschmidt-Yates, Christl; Mark, Andrew

2013-11-01

Emerging from Bandura's Social Learning Theory, this study of in-service elementary school teachers examined the effects of sustained Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on self-efficacy in science teaching. Based on mixed research methods, and a non-equivalent control group experimental design, the investigation explored changes in personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy among teachers engaged in PLCs that featured Demonstration Laboratories, Lesson Study, and annual Summer Institutes. Significant changes favoring the experimental group were found on all quantitative measures of self-efficacy. Structured clinical interviews revealed that observed changes were largely attributable to a wide range of direct (mastery) and vicarious experiences, as well as emotional reinforcement and social persuasion.

The Professional Learning Community in Special Education Schools: The Principal's Role

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schechter, Chen; Feldman, Niv

2013-01-01

The concept of a professional learning community is characterized by the networks of learning processes which exist among its members, where teachers continuously deliberate with one another on how to solve problems that relate to teaching and learning. Interestingly, whereas a growing number of studies have focused on how to promote collective…

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…

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…

Conceptualising the Research-Practice-Professional Development Nexus: Mobilising Schools as "Research-Engaged" Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimmock, Clive

2016-01-01

This paper argues the need for coherent, holistic frameworks offering insightful understandings as well as viable, connected and synergistic solutions to schools in addressing pressing problems arising from the acknowledged gaps between research, practice and professional development. There is a need to conceptualise a comprehensive conceptual…