Showing papers on "Professional development published in 2003"
TL;DR: studies from the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society not reviewed by Baer but which raise a number of key questions about clinical applicability, study design, and mechanism of action are reviewed.
Abstract: studies from the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society not reviewed by Baer but which raise a number of key questions about clinical applicability, study design, and mechanism of action, and (7) current opportunities for professional training and development in mindfulness and its clinical applications.
5,891 citations
TL;DR: Widespread implementation of beneficial prevention programming requires further development of research-based, comprehensive school reform models that improve social, health, and academic outcomes and systematic monitoring and evaluation to guide school improvement.
Abstract: A comprehensive mission for schools is to educate students to be knowledgeable, responsible, socially skilled, healthy, caring, and contributing citizens. This mission is supported by the growing number of school-based prevention and youth development programs. Yet, the current impact of these programs is limited because of insufficient coordination with other components of school operations and inattention to implementation and evaluation factors necessary for strong program impact and sustainability. Widespread implementation of beneficial prevention programming requires further development of research-based, comprehensive school reform models that improve social, health, and academic outcomes; educational policies that demand accountability for fostering children's full development; professional development that prepares and supports educators to implement programs effectively; and systematic monitoring and evaluation to guide school improvement.
2,008 citations
TL;DR: Time to stop arguing about the process and examine the outcomes of the EU referendum.
Abstract: Problem based learning is used in many medical schools in the United Kingdom and worldwide. This article describes this method of learning and teaching in small groups and explains why it has had an important impact on medical education.
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The group learning process: acquiring desirable learning skills
In problem based learning (PBL) students use “triggers” from the problem case or scenario to define their own learning objectives. Subsequently they do independent, self directed study before returning to the group to discuss and refine their acquired knowledge. Thus, PBL is not about problem solving per se, but rather it uses appropriate problems to increase knowledge and understanding. The process is clearly defined, and the several variations that exist all follow a similar series of steps.
#### Generic skills and attitudes
Group learning facilitates not only the acquisition of knowledge but also several other desirable attributes, such as communication skills, teamwork, problem solving, independent responsibility for learning, sharing information, and respect for others. PBL can therefore be thought of as a small group teaching method that combines the acquisition of knowledge with the development of generic skills and attitudes. Presentation of clinical material as the stimulus for learning enables students to understand the relevance of underlying scientific knowledge and principles in clinical practice.
However, when PBL is introduced into a curriculum, several other issues for curriculum design and implementation need to be tackled. PBL is generally introduced in the context of a defined core curriculum and integration of basic and clinical sciences. It has implications for staffing and learning resources and demands a different approach to timetabling, workload, and assessment. PBL is often used to deliver core material in non-clinical parts of the …
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1,860 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that teachers who felt successful with students and whose schools were organized to support them in their teaching were more likely to stay in their schools, and in teaching, than teachers whose school were not so organized.
Abstract: This article, based on a longitudinal interview study of 50 new teachers in Massachusetts, presents respondents’ reasons for staying in their schools, moving to new schools, or leaving public school teaching within their first 3 years of teaching. Although the respondents’ prior career orientations, financial situations, and preparation played a role in their career decisions, their experiences at the school sites were central in influencing their decisions. Teachers who felt successful with students and whose schools were organized to support them in their teaching—providing collegial interaction, opportunities for growth, appropriate assignments, adequate resources, and schoolwide structures supporting student learning—were more likely to stay in their schools, and in teaching, than teachers whose whose schools were not so organized.
965 citations
TL;DR: Guskey as mentioned in this paper analyzed 13 different lists of the characteristics of effective professional development, all published within the last decade, and concluded that they vary widely and that the research that supports them is inconsistent and often contradictory.
Abstract: After an examination of 13 recent lists of characteristics of "effective professional development," Mr. Guskey concludes that they vary widely and that the research that supports them is inconsistent and often contradictory. Nonetheless, he argues, we need to seek agreement on criteria for effectiveness, along with clear descriptions of contextual factors. DO WE KNOW what makes professional development effective? Have researchers and practitioners reached consensus about what factors contribute to a successful professional development experience? Do we even agree on what criteria should be used to judge professional development's effectiveness? A review of newly developed lists of the characteristics of effective professional development indicates that the answer to each of these questions is "Maybe not." Recently I analyzed 13 different lists of the characteristics of effective professional development, all published within the last decade. These lists were drawn from publications of the American Federation of Teachers, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Education Development Center, Educational Research Service, Educational Testing Service, Eisenhower Professional Development Program, National Governors' Association, National Institute for Science Education, National Partnership for Excellence and Accountability in Teaching, National Staff Development Council, and U.S. Department of Education. My goal was to find out the extent to which these various lists agreed. What I discovered is that they were derived in very different ways, used different criteria to determine "effectiveness," and varied widely in the characteristics they identified. I also found that the research evidence regarding most of the identified characteristics is inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. In considering their development, I concluded that most of the lists could be described as "research-based." But that research rarely includes rigorous investigations of the relationship between the noted characteristics and improvements in instructional practice or student learning outcomes. Instead, it typically involves surveys of the opinions of researchers and educators. In other words, researchers and practitioners generally favor these characteristics and believe they are important, despite the lack of verifying evidence. Only a National Institute for Science Education (NISE) analysis and an Educational Testing Service (ETS) study show a direct link between their identified characteristics and specific measures of student achievement.1 Of the 21 characteristics distinguished in the lists, the most frequently cited was enhancement of teachers' content and pedagogical knowledge. Helping teachers to understand more deeply the content they teach and the ways students learn that content appears to be a vital dimension of effective professional development. At present, however, nearly all of the studies relating this characteristic to improvements in student learning focus on achievement in mathematics or science. Whether the same is true for achievement in language arts, social studies, or other subject areas has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Most of the lists mention the provision of sufficient time and other resources as essential to effective professional development. Obviously, educators need time to deepen their understanding, analyze students' work, and develop new approaches to instruction. But significant contrary evidence exists. The NISE analysis, for example, showed that differences in time spent in professional development activities were unrelated to improvements in student outcomes. Similarly, the ETS study found that the amount of time spent in professional development was unrelated to achievement. So while effective professional development surely requires time, it's clear that the time must be well organized, carefully structured, and purposefully directed. Another consistently noted characteristic is the promotion of collegiality and collaborative exchange. …
861 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a model of teacher learning and an analytic framework linking professional development to student and teacher learning is presented, and evaluated using a combination of teacher reflection, classroom observation, and ongoing assessment of student performance.
766 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe two studies into teacher workplace learning, one aimed at developing a definition of teacher learning at the workplace and the other aimed at exploring factors that may affect teacher learning in the workplace.
732 citations
TL;DR: In an effort to separate hype from reality, this paper reviews practitioner and research literature on e-learning, incorporating unpublished information from interviews with managers and consultants directly involved in e- learning initiatives.
Abstract: The use of network technology to deliver training is the latest trend in the training and development industry and has been heralded as the ‘e-learning revolution.’ In an effort to separate hype from reality, this paper reviews practitioner and research literature on e-learning, incorporating unpublished information from interviews with managers and consultants directly involved in e-learning initiatives. Specific attention is given to why organizations use e-learning, what the potential drawbacks to e-learning are, what we know from research about e-learning and what the future of e-learning may hold.
722 citations
TL;DR: Three constructs are explored: continuing medical education (CME), continuing professional development (CPD), and (the newest of the three) knowledge translation, which has the potential to improve understanding of, and overcome the barriers to, implementing evidence based practice.
Abstract: A large gulf remains between what we know and what we practise. Eisenberg and Garzon point to widespread variation in the use of aspirin, calcium antagonists, βblockers, and anti-ischaemic drugs in the United States, Europe, and Canada despite good evidence on their best use.1 Such variation is common not only internationally but within countries.2 Large gaps also exist between best evidence and practice in the implementation of guidelines. Failure to follow best evidence highlights issues of underuse, overuse, and misuse of drugs3 and has led to widespread interest in the safety of patients.4
Not surprisingly, many attempts have been made to reduce the gap between evidence and practice. These have included educational strategies to alter practitioners' behaviour5 and organisational and administrative interventions. We explore three constructs: continuing medical education (CME), continuing professional development (CPD), and (the newest of the three) knowledge translation (box). Knowledge translation both subsumes and broadens the concepts of CME and CPD and has the potential to improve understanding of, and overcome the barriers to, implementing evidence based practice.
### Continuing medical education
CME refers to education after certification and licensure. It is arguably the most complex, and clearly the longest, phase of medical education. Most physicians think of continuing medical education in terms of the traditional medical conference, with rows of tables, pitchers of ice water, green table cloths, and a lecturer at the front of the room.7 Many accreditation systems in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada value attendance at such activities. This reinforces the teacher driven nature of continuing medical education, which gives little attention to the concept of professional development.
“Knowledge translation is defined as the exchange, synthesis and ethically sound application of knowledge—within a complex system of interactions among researchers and users—to accelerate the capture of …
714 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the influence of experience on coaching practice and found that it is experience and the observation of other coaches that remain the primary sources of knowledge for coaches, despite this, coach education and continuing professional development fail to draw effectively on this experience.
Abstract: Research over the last decade has demonstrated that it is experience and the observation of other coaches that remain the primary sources of knowledge for coaches. Despite this, coach education and continuing professional development fail to draw effectively on this experience. Using the work of Pierre Bourdieu, this paper attempts to understand how the “art of coaching” can be characterized as structured improvisation and how experience is crucial to structuring coaching practice. An examination of current coach education and assessment demonstrates that coaching practice viewed as a composite of knowledge has not specifically addressed the pervasive influence of experience on coaching practice. Drawing on experiences from the educational field, we examine how coach education and continuing professional development can utilize mentoring and critical reflection to situate learning in the practical experience of coaching.
680 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a reformulation of the main findings and perspectives from a cross-sectional and longitudinal qualitative study of the development of 100 counselors and therapists, which is presented as a phase model and as a formulation of 14 themes of counselor/therapist development.
Abstract: This article summarizes a reformulation of the main findings and perspectives from a cross-sectional and longitudinal qualitative study of the development of 100 counselors and therapists. The results are presented as a phase model and as a formulation of 14 themes of counselor/therapist development. The following six phases are described: The phases of the lay helper, the beginning student, the advanced student, the novice professional, the experienced professional, and the senior professional. The themes describe central processes of counselor/therapist development. The themes are addressing different issues such as shifts in attentional focus and emotional functioning, the importance of continuous reflection for professional growth, and a life-long personal/profession integration process. Sources of influence for professional functioning and development are described. The results show consistently that interpersonal experiences in the personal life domain (early family life and adult personal life) and the professional life domain (interacting with clients, professional elders, and peers) are significant sources of influence for professional development.
TL;DR: The authors argue that focusing on online technology solely as a mechanism to deliver training and/or create online networks places the cart before the horse by ignoring the Internet's even greater potential to help support and strengthen local communities of practice within which teachers work.
Abstract: Over the past decade, education reform and teacher training projects have spent a great deal of effort to create and support sustainable, scalable online communities of education professionals. For the most part, those communities have been created in isolation from the existing local professional communities within which the teachers practice. We argue that focusing on online technology solely as a mechanism to deliver training and/or create online networks places the cart before the horse by ignoring the Internet's even greater potential to help support and strengthen local communities of practice within which teachers work. In this article we seek guideposts to help education technologists understand the nature of local K-12 education communities of practice--specifically their reciprocal relationship with teacher professional development and instructional improvement interventions--as a prerequisite to designing online sociotechnical infrastructure that supports the professional growth of education pr...
TL;DR: Clinical teaching is an educationally sound approach, all too frequently undermined by problems of implementation.
Abstract: Clinical teaching—that is, teaching and learning focused on, and usually directly involving, patients and their problems—lies at the heart of medical education. At undergraduate level, medical schools strive to give students as much clinical exposure as possible; they are also increasingly giving students contact with patients earlier in the course. For postgraduates, “on the job” clinical teaching is the core of their professional development. How can a clinical teacher optimise the teaching and learning opportunities that arise in daily practice?
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Clinical teaching in general practice
Learning in the clinical environment has many strengths. It is focused on real problems in the context of professional practice. Learners are motivated by its relevance and through active participation. Professional thinking, behaviour, and attitudes are “modelled” by teachers. It is the only setting in which the skills of history taking, physical examination, clinical reasoning, decision making, empathy, and professionalism can be taught and learnt as an integrated whole. Despite these potential strengths, clinical teaching has been much criticised for its variability, lack of intellectual challenge, and haphazard nature. In other words, clinical teaching is an educationally sound approach, all too frequently undermined by problems of implementation.
#### Common problems with clinical teaching
#### Challenges of clinical teaching
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TL;DR: Audit and feedback can be effective in improving professional practice when it is effective, but the effects are generally small to moderate.
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, a study of distributed leadership in the context of elementary schools' adoption of comprehensive school reforms (CSR) was conducted, and the authors hypothesized that such programs activate those roles by defining expectations for and socializing (e.g., through professional development) role incumbents.
Abstract: This is a study of distributed leadership in the context of elementary schools' adoption of comprehensive school reforms (CSR). Most CSRs are designed to configure school leadership by defining formal roles, and we hypothesized that such programs activate those roles by defining expectations for and socializing (e.g., through professional development) role incumbents. Configuration and activation were further hypothesized to influence the performance of leadership functions in schools. Using data from a study of three of the most widely adopted CSR models, support was found for the configuration and activation hypotheses. Leadership configuration in CSR schools differed from that of nonCSR schools in part because of the addition of model-specific roles. Model participation was also related to the performance of leadership functions as principals in CSR schools and CSR-related role incumbents were found to provide significant amounts of instructional leadership. Further support for the activation hypothesi...
TL;DR: In this article, a life story of a professional soccer coach is used to understand the dynamic social construction of coaching knowledge in a highly challenging, competitive environment, and the role of coach education programs in the development of knowledge.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth understanding of some of the ways in which one elite soccer coach has constructed, and continues to construct, his professional knowledge. By adopting a life-story approach the paper problematises the predominant rationality of much existing coaching research and questions the role of coach education programmes in the development of coaching knowledge. To accomplish this, the paper focuses on the life events of Steve Harrison, a 48-year-old professional soccer coach who currently works at Middlesborough Football Club. Specifically, it illustrates some of the dimensions of the dynamic social construction of coaching knowledge in a highly challenging, competitive environment. The paper is organised into three sections. In the first section, a rationale for a focus on coaches' knowledge is followed by a brief overview of the life-story method as used in this study. Second, Steve's story is presented, drawing upon excerpts from field-notes, interview transcr...
01 Apr 2003
TL;DR: The authors discusses approaches to the study of academic English and presents a multi-dimensional framework for analyzing it. But, academic English has often been ignored or under-emphasized in public school instruction.
Abstract: Learning academic English is probably one of the surest, most reliable ways of attaining socio- economic success in the United States today. Learners cannot function in school settings effectively without it. This variety of English entails the multiple, complex features of English required for success in public schooling and career advancement. It involves mastery of a writing system and its particular academic conventions as well as proficiency in reading, speaking, and listening. Unfortunately, academic English has often been ignored or under-emphasized in public school instruction. Many have not understood its importance in helping students function in school settings or have misunderstood its complex nature. This paper discusses approaches to the study of academic English and presents a multi-dimensional framework for analyzing it. The dimensions include linguistic, cognitive, and socio-cultural/psychological ones. The paper also describes the relationship between the English used in everyday situations and in academic ones. It concludes with a brief discussion of research implications pertaining to instruction, assessment, and professional development.
TL;DR: In this paper, a group of US teachers were asked to engage in lesson study with the support of Japanese teachers, and their findings suggest that to benefit from lesson study teachers will first need to learn how to apply critical lenses to their examination of lessons.
TL;DR: This article reviewed selected research related to the professional development impact of school-based teacher research programs for P-12 educators in the USA, and identified several conditions under which school based teacher research becomes a transformative professional development activity.
Abstract: This article reviews selected research related to the professional development impact of school-based teacher research programs for P-12 educators in the USA. Following the presentation of a framework that describes the dimensions of variation in P-12 teacher research in the USA, the article examines the results of several studies of school-based teacher research programs and identifies several conditions under which school-based teacher research becomes a transformative professional development activity for teachers.
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an overview of recent research and innovation in mathematics education, focusing on the political dimensions of mathematics education and the influence of technology on the mathematics curriculum.
Abstract: Section 1: Political dimensions of mathematics education. Section Editor: C. Keitel. 1. Mathematics, mathematics education and economic conditions D. Woodrow. 2. Is mathematics for all? P. Gates, C. Vistro-Yu. 3. Mathematical literacy E. Jablonka. 4. Lifelong mathematics education G. FitzSimons, D. Coben, J. O'Donoghue. 5. International comparative research in mathematics education D. Clarke. 6. Mathematics education in international and global contexts W. Atweh, P. Clarkson, B. Nebres. Section 2: Responses in mathematics education to technological developments. Section Editor: F.K.S. Leung. 7. Technology and mathematics education: a multidimensional overview of recent research and innovation J.-B. Lagrange, M. Artigue, C. Laborde, L. Trouche. 8. Influence of technology on the mathematics curriculum Ngai-Ying Wong. 9. What can digital technologies take from and bring to research in mathematics education C. Hoyles, R. Noss. 10. Technology as a tool for teaching undergraduate mathematics M. Thomas, D. Holton. 11. Mathematics teacher education and technology J. Mousley, D. Lambdin, Y. Koc. Section 3: Issues in Research in Mathematics Education. Section Editor: J. Kilpatrick. 12. Getting the description right and making it count J. Adler, S. Lerman. 13. The impact of educational research on mathematics education D. Wiliam. 14. Preparing mathematics education researchers for disciplined inquiry J. Boaler, D. Ball, R. Even. 15. Mathematics teachers as researchers C. Breen. 16. Researching mathematics education in situations of social and political conflict R. Vithal, P. Valero. 17. Obstacles to the dissemination of mathematics education research A. Begg. Section 4: Professional Practice in Mathematics Education. Section Editor: K. Clements. 18. Challenging and changing mathematics teaching classroom practices D. Tirosh, A. Graeber. 19. Towards a didactic model for assessment design in mathematics education M. van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, J. Becker. 20. Values in mathematics teaching - The hidden persuaders? A. Bishop, Wee Tiong Seah, Chien Chin. 21. Regulating the entry of teachers of mathematics into the profession: Challenges, new models, and glimpses into the future M. Stephens. 22. Examining the mathematics in mathematics teacher education T. Cooney, H. Wiegel. 23. Educating new mathematics teachers: Integrating theory and practice, and the roles of practising teachers B. Jaworski, U. Gellert. 24. Professional development in mathematics education: Trends and tasks O. Zaslavsky, O. Chapman, R. Leikin.
TL;DR: Anderson et al. as discussed by the authors provided a critical analysis of the implementation of an innovative science curriculum at a middle school site and explored the issues that surround teacher learning of new practices including the structures, policies, and practices that were in place within the reform context that supported or impeded teacher learning.
Abstract: Over the last decade, significant efforts have been made to bring change to science classrooms. Educational researchers (Anderson, R. D., & Helms, J. V. (2001). Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(1), 3–16.) have pointed to the need to examine reform efforts systemically to understand the pathways and impediments to successful reform. This study provides a critical analysis of the implementation of an innovative science curriculum at a middle school site. In particular, the author explores the issues that surround teacher learning of new practices including the structures, policies, and practices that were in place within the reform context that supported or impeded teacher learning. Parallels are drawn between student and teacher learning and the importance of autonomy and decision-making structures for both populations of learners. Findings presented include (1) how staff development with constructivist underpinnings facilitated teacher learning; (2) how regular and frequent opportunities for interactions with colleagues and outside support personnel contributed to teacher learning; (3) how the decline of such interactive forums and the continuation of old decision-making structures restricted the development of teacher knowledge, expertise, and a common vision of the science program; and (4) how the process of field-testing at this site limited the incorporation of teachers' prior knowledge and impacted teacher acquisition of new knowledge and skills. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed87:3–30, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10037
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education enhancing academic: Enhancing academic practice.(3rd edition).
Abstract: Generated Questions in the Teaching and Learning Process. Maxwell Constantine Chando Musingafi Marshall, S. (editors).A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education: Enhancing academic practice.(3rd edition). New York. Pintrich and Garcia (1991) found that intrinsically motivated students did A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education enhancing academic. Two Required Texts: Teaching Reading in Today's Elementary Schools, ISBN # BEHAVIORAL, ACADEMIC, AND SOCIAL INTERVENTION FOR THE CLASSROOM Two Required Texts: Cooperative Learning: Integrating Theory & Practice ISBN 3rd edition, ISBN #9781412959742, & The Handbook for Enhancing.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on two upper-elementary teachers' learning through their use of potentially educative mathematics curriculum materials without additional professional development, and find that teachers' dynamic and divergent nature of opportunities to learn through reading materials and enacting lessons illustrated the teachers' relationship between beliefs integral to teachers' identity and those that are targets for change.
Abstract: This study reports on 2 upper-elementary teachers' learning through their use of potentially educative mathematics curriculum materials without additional professional development. 41 observations of the teachers' mathematics lessons and 28 interviews of the teachers were collected from October to May of an academic year. The case study analyses indicated that curriculum materials can be an effective professional development tool, but perhaps not for all teachers. 1 teacher's instructional focus and rationale for instructional practices remained stable throughout the school year, whereas the other's changed dramatically. The cases illustrated the teachers' dynamic and divergent nature of opportunities to learn through reading materials and enacting lessons. Findings also indicated that consideration of the interaction between beliefs integral to teachers' identity and those that are targets for change may illuminate responses to potentially educative curriculum materials.
TL;DR: The potential benefits ofevidence-based social work professional education and ongoing efforts of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University to implement curriculum-wide changes supportive of evidence-based professional practice education are described.
Abstract: The scientific literature relevant to social work practice has grown expansively in recent years. Corollary developments, including the widespread availability of electronic bibliographic databases, improved indexing services, and increased acceptance of systematic reviews and evidence-based practice guidelines, have made research findings increasingly accessible to practitioners. For the first time in the history of the profession, social work educators are confronted with the challenges posed, and opportunities afforded, by this accumulating body of practice-relevant scientific information. Evidence-based practice is a new paradigm that promotes more effective social interventions by encouraging the conscientious, judicious, and explicit use of the best available scientific evidence in professional decision making. Pedagogically, evidence-based practice involves teaching students the values and skills they need to identify, critically appraise, and apply practice-relevant scientific evidence over the co...
TL;DR: This paper found that parents' education has no effect on their children's entry into MBA programs and only a small influence on entry into master's programs; however, there is a strong effect of parents" education on first-professional and doctoral programs.
Abstract: Although sociologists have found direct links between parents' education and the high school and college educational attainments of their offspring, researchers have been surprised to find no parental effects on educational enrollments beyond college. Postgraduate matriculation appears to result from academic success in college, divorced from parents' educational capital. Using new data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, the authors reexamine this issue and extend the literature by disaggregating graduate programs by type. They find that parents' education has no effect on their children's entry into MBA programs and only a small influence on entry into master's programs; however, there is a strong effect of parents' education on entry into first-professional and doctoral programs. The role of parental education is largely indirect, working primarily through the characteristics of a student's undergraduate institution, academic performance, educational expectations, and career values. In addition, college performance maintains a strong, independent effect on enrollment in graduate school.
01 Mar 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, a policy brief examines the relationship between student achievement and teacher qualifications and offers recommendations for improving teacher qualifications, concluding that young children's learning and development clearly depend on the educational qualifications of their teachers.
Abstract: Once they begin kindergarten, America's children are taught by professionals with at least a four-year college degree. Prior to kindergarten, their teachers are far less prepared. Fewer than half of preschool teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and many have never even attended college. Noting that new research finds that young children's learning and development clearly depend on the educational qualifications of their teachers, this policy brief examines the relationship between student achievement and teacher qualifications, and offers recommendations for improving teacher qualifications. The brief summarizes the kinds of qualifications preschool teachers actually need, and reviews research indicating the relationship between teacher qualifications and program quality. The brief concludes with policy recommendations, including the following: (1) require preschool teachers to have a four-year college degree and specialized training; (2) design professional development programs enabling current early education teachers to acquire a four-year degree; and (3) pay preschool teachers salaries and benefits comparable to those of similarly qualified teachers in K-12 education. (Contains 31 endnotes.) (HTH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
TL;DR: From the framework of transformative learning, the authors explores how professional development can lead educators to be authentic, individuated, critically reflective practitioners, and provides practical strategies to support them.
Abstract: From the framework of transformative learning, this chapter explores how professional development can lead educators to be authentic, individuated, critically reflective practitioners. Practical strategies are provided.
TL;DR: The authors examined the relationship between preservice secondary teachers' subject-matter expertise in mathematics and their judgments of students' algebra problem-solving difficulty and found that participants with more advanced mathematics education, regardless of their program affiliation or teaching plans, were more likely to view symbolic reasoning and mastery of equations as a necessary prerequisite for word equations and story problem solving.
Abstract: This study (N = 48) examined the relationship between preservice secondary teachers’ subject-matter expertise in mathematics and their judgments of students’ algebra problem-solving difficulty. As predicted by the “expert blind spot” hypothesis, participants with more advanced mathematics education, regardless of their program affiliation or teaching plans, were more likely to view symbolic reasoning and mastery of equations as a necessary prerequisite for word equations and story problem solving. This view is in contrast with students’ actual performance patterns. An examination across several subject areas, including mathematics, science, and language arts, suggests a common pattern. This article considers how teachers’ developmental views may influence classroom practice and professional development, and calls into question policies that seek to streamline the licensure process of new teachers on the basis of their subject-matter expertise.