Showing papers in "Journal of In-service Education in 2005"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider a wide range of international literature, together with some specific examples from the Scottish context, in proposing a framework built around key characteristics of individual models of CPD and identify nine key models, which are then classified in relation to their capacity for supporting professional autonomy and transformative practice.
Abstract: The area of teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) is of growing interest internationally. However, while an increasing range of literature focuses on particular aspects of CPD, there is a paucity of literature addressing the spectrum of CPD models in a comparative manner. This article therefore considers a wide range of international literature, together with some specific examples from the Scottish context, in proposing a framework built around key characteristics of individual models of CPD. The framework identifies nine key models, which are then classified in relation to their capacity for supporting professional autonomy and transformative practice. The article considers the circumstances in which each of the nine models of CPD might be adopted, and explores the form(s) of knowledge that can be developed through any particular model. It also examines the power relationships inherent in the individual models and explores the extent to which CPD is perceived and promoted either a...
739 citations
168 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the development of transformative teacher professional identity and the ways in which this is contributed to by teacher responsiveness to the changing and demanding educational environments in which they find themselves.
Abstract: This article focuses upon the development of transformative teacher professionalism. It explores issues of teacher professional identity and the ways in which this is contributed to by teacher responsiveness to the changing and demanding educational environments in which they find themselves. It includes a review of significant literature within the field and suggests ways in which professional learning can support the development of a transformative teaching profession. Finally, it points to a number of conditions under which such a profession might emerge.
101 citations
TL;DR: The use of the terms school culture, climate, and ethos appear to be interchangeably used in the context of in-service education as mentioned in this paper, however, there is a tendency to use climate when objective data is under consideration, ethos when more subjective descriptors are involved, and culture when these two are brought together as an integrative force in investigation or debate.
Abstract: The terms school culture, climate and ethos appear to be used interchangeably. Within the context of differing national environments there is, however, a tendency to use climate when objective data is under consideration, ethos when more subjective descriptors are involved, and culture when these two are brought together as an integrative force in investigation or debate. Much in-service education makes use of these terms as the basis of understanding events and outcomes in many areas of continuing professional development work. This article outlines the findings of a literature search, which was directed at securing a greater consistency in the use of the terms. Whilst it concludes that there is a tendency to use the terms as outlined above, it illustrates the need for clarification of terms in any appropriate investigation or reporting.
82 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate teachers' views on their professional learning and its influencing factors, finding that the more formal contexts of professional learning are undervalued, that a context-specific and 'on-the-job' nature of learning, which was associated with the organisational and structural constraints of the workplace, prevailed, and that the processes of learning were mainly idiosyncratic and classroom-centred.
Abstract: This article reports on research aimed at investigating teachers' views on their professional learning and its influencing factors. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire (n = 627) and semi-structured interviews with teachers and head teachers in 18 schools located in northern Portugal. Findings suggest that the more formal contexts of professional learning (such as Initial Training, teaching practice and Inservice Education) are undervalued, that a context-specific and ‘on-the-job’ nature of learning, which was associated with the organisational and structural constraints of the workplace, prevailed, and that the processes of learning were mainly idiosyncratic and classroom-centred. Issues of personal motivation and learning as a practical and trial-and-error process emerged as the most distinctive features between new and more experienced teachers. Implications for the role of schools in the continuing professional development of teachers are discussed
62 citations
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TL;DR: Consideration of a teaching topic as depicted by a variety of map structures may help the ‘subject-expert novice-teacher’ to view the topic through the eyes of the subject-novice (student) and so increase the importance of the multiple perspectives held by students.
Abstract: Consideration of variations in the gross morphology of concept maps can be helpful in the context of lesson planning by promoting the consideration of the multiple perspectives held by students. The three basic concept map structures are described as having particular utility at different stages of the planning process: (a) chain-type maps emphasise a linear sequence of teaching sessions and are useful for organising lesson materials; (b) spoke-type maps can be helpful to the student by highlighting a knowledge structure that provides a fertile foundation for development, i.e. organising novice understanding; (c) net-type maps can demonstrate a deep understanding as held by the subject-specialist teacher and therefore illustrate expert knowledge structures to which students should aspire. Consideration of a teaching topic as depicted by a variety of map structures may help the ‘subject-expert novice-teacher’ to view the topic through the eyes of the subject-novice (student) and so increase the po...
46 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a small-scale study assisted 18 special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) to identify significant learning at work and consider possibilities for accredited learning projects, with a view to developing support for university accreditation.
Abstract: With a view to developing support for university accreditation, this small–scale study assisted 18 special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) to identify significant learning at work and consider possibilities for accredited learning projects. Participants wrote and shared narratives of critical learning incidents, assessed the contribution of a range of learning influences and identified five role variations with corresponding priorities, preferences and opportunities for structured learning. SENCos with management status and curriculum development roles suggested a greater range of potential learning projects, and were more confident of the involvement of others than those with heavy teaching and support roles who preferred topics in which their own action tended to be a focus for research and development. The author argues that, for too many SENCos, their experiential learning remains confined within selective school functions, rather than part of a planned exposure to school leadership i...
40 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors construct a concept based on the many and varied debates there have been on action research and describe it with the aid of five themes derived from Carr & Kemmis's much cited definition.
Abstract: The question what contribution action research can make to the professional development of teachers is not easy to answer. It depends firstly on the context in which action research takes shape and secondly on the conceptual principles on which educators and teachers base their view of what good action research is. In order to be able to use action research in different situations, it can be said that teacher educators and teachers need a critically constructed concept that is based on coherent principles. This article attempts to construct such a concept based on the many and varied debates there have been on action research. The concept is described with the aid of five themes derived from Carr & Kemmis's much cited definition. The themes are: (1) reflection and research, (2) understanding and improvement, (3) technical, practical and emancipatory indicators for improvement, (4) classroom practice and practice at school level, and (5) individual and joint action. The article concludes with the ...
36 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on findings from "action research" pilot projects in four primary schools in four Tasmanian primary schools focused on the provision of professional learning to support the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning.
Abstract: 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 Tasmanian primary school classes as part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant to study the impact of ICT on pedagogies in primary schools. In the course of the projects, some participants developed and implemented solutions for a major problem of professional learning, namely, how to ensure the transfer of professional learning into in–class practices. The projects suggested that there are significant advantages (increased effectiveness and considerable cost savings) when professional learning is undertaken as a collaborative activity and when teaching colleagues focus on specific class practices. From the projects it has been possible to discern a poss...
TL;DR: It is argued that not only do newly qualified secondary teachers need to become experts in the technical aspects of teaching, they also need to develop the professional capability to establish positive relationships with their colleagues and to reconcile their often idealistic expectations of teaching with school reality.
Abstract: This study is concerned with newly qualified secondary teachers' experience of socialisation into the profession during their first year of teaching. The article argues that not only do they need to become experts in the technical aspects of teaching, they also need to develop the professional capability to establish positive relationships with their colleagues and to reconcile their often idealistic expectations of teaching with school reality. The 10 newly qualified teachers participating in this qualitative study were amongst the first cohort to undergo the statutory induction programme introduced in England in September 1999. By adopting a case study approach, data collection took place by means of semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. Particular attention is paid to the challenges experienced by newly qualified teachers in their endeavour to negotiate a balance between their personal and professional values and beliefs, and those prevailing in the school in which they are located.
TL;DR: The strengths and weaknesses of the Graduate Teacher Programme are considered, and a small-scale project to strengthen the existing partnerships by improving the quality of school-based tutor training and continuous professional development of staff is reported on.
Abstract: In its recent report on the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), an employment-based route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England, the Government's Office for Standards in Education found that, although almost all trainees meet the standards required to qualify, too often they do so at an adequate level, rather than achieving the high levels of which they should be capable. The underlying reason for this is the quality of mentoring provided in the schools. The inspectors concluded that schoolbased trainers are often not adequately prepared for their role in implementing wide-ranging training programmes for trainee teachers. Despite this generally bleak picture, Ofsted concluded that ‘the minority of cases of good practice in the training programmes and of high quality teaching by trainees indicate that the GTP can be an effective alternative route for training teachers’. This article considers the strengths and weaknesses of the Graduate Teacher Programme, introduced in January 1998, and also ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present findings of a study that engaged four teachers in the process of reflective dialogue in a school in Karachi, Pakistan and explore the teachers' response to the process and possible reasons.
Abstract: Reflective dialogue is still very much an unexplored area in teacher education in Pakistan. This article presents findings of a study that engaged four teachers in the process of reflective dialogue in a school in Karachi, Pakistan. It explores the teachers' response to the process and possible reasons. It also examines the role played by those who help teachers to become reflective (reflective coaches). Findings indicate that reflective dialogue is an alternative teacher professional development strategy, and that a teacher's level of reflection is dependent on the teacher's commitment to teaching, personal reasons and responsibilities. Teaching experience also influences one's approach to reflective dialogue. It is also suggested that if successful, reflective dialogue empowers teachers by enabling them to take control of teaching and learning in their classrooms. The implications of reflective dialogue for teacher education in Pakistan and similar contexts are also shared.
TL;DR: In this article, a case study looking at continuing professional development (CPD) within a rural primary school cluster, teachers' views of the way their needs were met, what controlled their CPD, and the impact of school and system needs on their experiences were analysed.
Abstract: From a case study looking at continuing professional development (CPD) within a rural primary school cluster, teachers' views of the way their needs were met, what controlled their CPD, and the impact of school and system needs on their CPD experiences were analysed. This confirmed the existence of tensions between these levels of need in relation to CPD. Nevertheless, these data also show the primary teachers as largely compliant in allowing this to be the case. This article suggests that they identify their own with their schools' needs, partly because of the current managerialist system where external pressures – league tables, inspection -are mediated through school development plans and performance management. The effect is seen as a loss of professional autonomy. A stronger sense of responsibility for individual professional development, grounded within the context of their role in a professional community, is called for, but this must also recognise the realities and complexities of teache...
TL;DR: The analysis focuses on two aspects of Kirkpatrick's (1975) conceptualisation of the evaluation process: reaction evaluation and learning evaluation, which highlighted the limitations of the event-delivery model of professional development.
Abstract: This article explores critically the case of university-provided inservice training for secondary teachers in Greece, using the experience of both tutors and teachers as they embark upon it. It draws upon an exploratory study carried out with 22 secondary teachers (philologists) and 12 university teachers in the context of two university departments. The analysis focuses on two aspects of Kirkpatrick's (1975) conceptualisation of the evaluation process: reaction evaluation and learning evaluation. The findings highlighted the limitations of the event-delivery model of professional development, in particular, the vexatious relationship between theory and practice. The article concludes with a number of recommendations related to the need for the greater involvement of teachers in the organisation, formulation and delivery of in-service professional development.
TL;DR: The authors investigated the extent to which activities to support professional dialogue that evolved in a school-based research consortium had been sustained and developed three years after the period of external funding, finding that only those activities most explicitly focused on immediate classroom practice were sustained.
Abstract: This article presents empirical evidence from a follow-up study of schools which had been members of a school-based research consortium. It offers insight into the work of professional learning communities at the level of practice and so contributes to the growing research interest in probing their development. It investigates the extent to which activities to support professional dialogue that evolved in a schoolbased research consortium had been sustained and developed three years after the period of external funding. It was found that only those activities most explicitly focused on immediate classroom practice were sustained. The findings support the view that learning in partnerships and networks is highly contextualised and consequently not easily transferred.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored practical constraints that prevent teachers from participating in INSET courses for their continuing professional development, and argued that in-service teacher training can be maximised on the condition that a societywide supportive mechanism is established that ensures smooth coordination between the various levels concerned.
Abstract: This article aims to explore practical constraints that prevent teachers from participating in INSET courses for their continuing professional development. This study, from the course clients' perspectives, examines the points of view of the teacher trainees and administrators involved in a teacher-training course in China. Questionnaires and interviews were employed to gather data. The findings indicate the importance of appreciating both teachers' concerns as individuals and administrators' practical considerations that, if ignored, could lead to the undermining of the overall quality of training. It is argued that in-service teacher training can be maximised on the condition that a society-wide supportive mechanism is established that ensures smooth coordination between the various levels concerned
TL;DR: The results confirm previous research showing that there are aspects of the process that are working well but further attention needs to be given to the training needs of the induction tutor.
Abstract: Since 1999 all newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in England have been required to complete a statutory induction year. In Wales the induction year became statutory in 2003. This article reports on the experiences of NQTs during the year 2000-2001. All of the NQTs received their initial training in Wales, but some obtained employment in England and others in Wales. This provided the researchers with a unique opportunity to compare the professional development received by the new teachers in the two countries. Questionnaires containing a mixture of open and closed questions were used to gather the data. The results confirm previous research showing that there are aspects of the process that are working well but further attention needs to be given to the training needs of the induction tutor.
TL;DR: Evaluation of an accredited programme to enhance the early professional development of newly qualified teachers within the Black Country region of the English West Midlands shows that the programme outcomes are of relevance to newly qualified teacher stakeholders and that it is meeting its planned outcomes.
Abstract: This article reports on the evaluation of an accredited programme to enhance the early professional development of newly qualified teachers within the Black Country region of the English West Midlands. Newly qualified teachers participating in the accredited programme, their induction tutors, newly qualified teachers not participating in the accredited programme and local education authority officers offer feedback on the successes and shortcomings of the programme. Analysis shows that the programme outcomes are of relevance to newly qualified teacher stakeholders and that the programme is meeting its planned outcomes. It is also shown that the programme is perceived as effective in fostering reflective practice amongst newly qualified teachers, and has impacted positively upon their personal and professional development. There is evidence that the programme offers clear linkage to a vision of early professional development progression beyond the induction period. Gender and sector differences in...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine developments in the establishment of ULRs in the workplace and what has been achieved to date, and see how ULRs operate within the workplace, and identify the benefits to the employees they help.
Abstract: Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) are a relatively recent phenomenon and are a new category of lay representation within the workplace in the United Kingdom. They are part of the present New Labour administration's drive to expand and improve lifelong learning and create the new 'learning society' - in this case, particularly amongst the working population by working in partnership with the trade union movement. This initiative has been given greater credence by the Employment Act 2002, which grants a number of statutory rights to ULRs. The aim of this article is two-fold: first, to examine developments in the establishment of ULRs in the workplace and what has been achieved to date, and secondly, to see how ULRs operate within the workplace and identify the benefits to the employees they help. This will be achieved by undertaking a case study of ULRs of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).
TL;DR: In this paper, six experienced teachers, recently graduated from a professional teacher education degree upgrade, elaborated on their perceptions of its effects on their professional learning and the impact on both classroom and school-wide practices.
Abstract: Currently, in New Zealand, unprecedented numbers of teachers are involved in professional development activities, with, in essence, practice as the major focal point. In recent years, however, an increasing trend for primary teachers to undertake academic study towards a degree qualification has emerged. Although study towards a degree qualification is acknowledged in the literature as a form of professional development, there is limited research available about the role such study has played in teachers' professional learning. In this qualitative research project, six experienced teachers, recently graduated from a professional teacher education degree upgrade, elaborated on their perceptions of its effects on their professional learning. The teachers talked about the opening up of their minds to different perspectives, voices and ideas, and as a result, the impact on both classroom and school-wide practices.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an overview of the intervention strategies, with examples, in connection with the Professional Review Meetings that were expected to take place at regular intervals in the NQT's first year of teaching.
Abstract: The focus of this article is a participatory action research project funded for 2 years by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation on the Professional Development of Subject Induction Tutors working with newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in secondary schools in three local education authorities in the East Midlands. A crucial part of the Project was three Intervention Meetings designed as training events for the target Subject Induction Tutors (SITs). Some strategies were provided to encourage reflection during the regular meetings with the NQTs and the SITs were asked to try to model the approaches they would encourage the NQT to adopt to become a more reflective and self-evaluative teacher. The article presents an overview of the intervention strategies, with examples, in connection with the Professional Review Meetings that were expected to take place at regular intervals in the NQT's first year of teaching. It explores how SITs and NQTs were able to connect personally with the intervention strategies an...
TL;DR: The Priority Action Schools Program (PASP) as discussed by the authors was designed to provide intensive support to 74 schools with concentrations of students from low socio-economic status, aiming to improve student engagement in learning and learning outcomes, reduce disruptive behaviour and suspensions, and improve student attendance and retention.
Abstract: This article presents the learnings from PASP, the Priority Action Schools Program expressed in the meta-evaluation ‘Knowing Makes the Difference’. PASP, jointly supported by the NSW Department of Education and Training and the NSW Teachers Federation, was designed to provide intensive support to 74 schools with concentrations of students from low socio-economic status. PASP schools aimed to: improve student engagement in learning and learning outcomes, reduce disruptive behaviour and suspensions, and improve student attendance and retention. Whole school communities were involved in identifying issues and potential solutions through partnerships and school networks. School Learning Portfolios documented rigorously evaluated strategies with the assistance of academic partners. The most significant feature of PASP is that it is a knowledge based program placing emphasis on the learnings within classrooms, schools and the system.
TL;DR: The Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH) is a national development programme designed to develop the leadership and management skills, abilities and values of aspiring head teachers as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH) is a national development programme designed to develop the leadership and management skills, abilities and values of aspiring head teachers. This article first outlines the context within which the qualification is set before describing some previous evaluations on aspects of the programme. Unlike earlier evaluations, however, this paper focuses on how the programme is regarded by those who, for whatever reason, did not complete the programme. Following a brief description of the SQH and the methods used, the findings are set out and analysed. The article ends with a discussion of the implications of the findings for the future development and delivery of the programme.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tracked the experiences of a group of Scottish probationer teachers in their first year of teaching in primary schools, focusing on some of difficulties around handling feedback in this situation and the need for considerable interpersonal skill.
Abstract: Scotland has a new system of teacher induction, introduced in 2002. Whilst recognising the many benefits for newly qualified teachers, we aim to explore some of the real experiences of teachers in the new system. This article recognises the power relationships involved and therefore aims to allow the submerged voices of probationer teachers to be heard. It is based on evidence gathered whilst tracking the experiences of a group of Scottish probationer teachers in their first year of teaching in primary schools. It focuses on some of difficulties around handling feedback in this situation and the need for considerable interpersonal skill. The main method of data collection was through regular focus group interview and email contact. The article makes no claims to representativeness or generalisability. We have deliberately chosen a narrative approach to convey the reality of their situation through a fictional character, Pat, whose experiences resonate with our participants.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the possibilities for disrupting this default mode that are opened up when learning is amplified through multiplying the sites of pedagogical practice, such as a classroom.
Abstract: Schools located within communities experiencing high levels of social dislocation, educational disadvantage and student disengagement from learning are working under ‘adverse conditions’. These schools face particular challenges when it comes to stabilising and sustaining wholeschool change aimed at improving students’ learning outcomes. In this article, schools are understood as known to us through their technologies of power, which produce the practices, relationships and techniques of schooling. One such technology is a site of pedagogical practice, such as a classroom, and one of its effects is learning. In schools working under adverse conditions, a default mode of schooling that emphasises surveillance and control tends to dampen the kind of learning that leads to success at school. The following discussion explores the possibilities for disrupting this default mode that are opened up when learning is amplified through multiplying the sites of pedagogical practice. This approach differs fro...