Showing papers on "Professional development published in 2008"

Measures of classroom quality in prekindergarten and children's development of academic, language, and social skills.

Abstract: This study examined development of academic, language, and social skills among 4-year-olds in publicly supported prekindergarten (pre-K) programs in relation to 3 methods of measuring pre-K quality, which are as follows: (a) adherence to 9 standards of quality related to program infrastructure and design, (b) observations of the overall quality of classroom environments, and (c) observations of teachers’ emotional and instructional interactions with children in classrooms. Participants were 2,439 children enrolled in 671 pre-K classrooms in 11 states. Adjusting for prior skill levels, child and family characteristics, program characteristics, and state, teachers’ instructional interactions predicted academic and language skills and teachers’ emotional interactions predicted teacher-reported social skills. Findings suggest that policies, program development, and professional development efforts that improve teacher–child interactions can facilitate children’s school readiness.

Back to the Future: Directions for Research in Teaching and Teacher Education

Abstract: In this article, the authors examine two distinct but closely related fields, research on teaching and research on teacher education. Despite its roots in research on teaching, research in teacher education has developed in isolation both from mainstream research on teaching and from research on higher education and professional education. A stronger connection to research on teaching could inform the content of teacher education, while a stronger relationship to research on organizations and policy implementation could focus attention on the organizational contexts in which the work takes shape. The authors argue that for research in teacher education to move forward, it must reconnect with these fields to address the complexity of both teaching as a practice and the preparation of teachers.

Is yours a learning organization

Abstract: An organization with a strong learning culture faces the unpredictable deftly. However, a concrete method for understanding precisely how an institution learns and for identifying specific steps to help it learn better has remained elusive. A new survey instrument from professors Garvin and Edmondson of Harvard Business School and assistant professor Gino of Carnegie Mellon University allows you to ground your efforts in becoming a learning organization. The tool's conceptual foundation is what the authors call the three building blocks of a learning organization. The first, a supportive learning environment, comprises psychological safety, appreciation of differences, openness to new ideas, and time for reflection. The second, concrete learning processes and practices, includes experimentation, information collection and analysis, and education and training. These two complementary elements are fortified by the final building block: leadership that reinforces learning. The survey instrument enables a granular examination of all these particulars, scores each of them, and provides a framework for detailed, comparative analysis. You can make comparisons within and among your institution's functional areas, between your organization and others, and against benchmarks that the authors have derived from their surveys of hundreds of executives in many industries. After discussing how to use their tool, the authors share the insights they acquired as they developed it. Above all, they emphasize the importance of dialogue and diagnosis as you nurture your company and its processes with the aim of becoming a learning organization. The authors' goal--and the purpose of their tool--is to help you paint an honest picture of your firm's learning culture and of the leaders who set its tone.

Advancing Engineering Education in P-12 Classrooms

Abstract: Engineering as a profession faces the challenge of making the use of technology ubiquitous and transparent in society while at the same time raising young learners' interest and understanding of how technology works. Educational efforts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (i.e., STEM disciplines) continue to grow in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (P-12) as part of addressing this challenge. This article explores how engineering education can support acquisition of a wide range of knowledge and skills associated with comprehending and using STEM knowledge to accomplish real world problem solving through design, troubleshooting, and analysis activities. We present several promising instructional models for teaching engineering in P-12 classrooms as examples of how engineering can be integrated into the curriculum. While the introduction of engineering education into P-12 classrooms presents a number of opportunities for STEM learning, it also raises issues regarding teacher knowledge and professional development, and institutional challenges such as curricular standards and high-stakes assessments. These issues are considered briefly with respect to providing direction for future research and development on engineering in P-12.

Experimenting With Teacher Professional Development: Motives and Methods

Abstract: A strong base of research is needed to guide investments in teacher professional development (PD). This article considers the status of research on PD and articulates a particular direction for future work. Little is known about whether PD can have a positive impact on achievement when a program is delivered across a range of typical settings and when its delivery depends on multiple trainers. Despite a consensus in the literature on the features of effective PD, there is limited evidence on the specific features that make a difference for achievement. This article explains the benefits offered by experiments in addressing current research needs and—for those conducting and interpreting such studies—discusses the unique methodological issues encountered when experimental methods are applied to the study of PD.

A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Abstract: conceptualisation (AC) Figure 2.1 The Kolb Learning Cycle First, learners are involved fully and freely in new experiences (CE). Second, they must make/have the time and space to be able to reflect on their experience from different perspectives (RO). Third, learners must be able to form, re-form and process their ideas, take ownership of them and integrate their new ideas and understanding into sound, logical theories (AC). It is these middle two elements in the cycle that can be strongly influenced by feedback from others. This moves towards the fourth point (AE), using the enhanced understanding to make decisions and problem-solve, and test implica- tions and usage in new situations. The experiential cycle does not simply involve having an experience, or ‘doing’, but also reflecting, processing, thinking and furthering understanding, and usually ‘improvement’ the next time something is encountered or done. By extension, this cyclical process has a part to play in even the most abstract and theoretical disciplines where the academic is concerned to help the learner acquire the ‘tools of the trade’ or the modes of thinking central to the discipline, such as in philosophy or literary criticism. The teacher needs to be aware that in practice learners do not cycle smoothly through the model, but may get stuck, fail to progress or ‘jump about’. The way in which the learner resolves these tensions will have an effect on the learning outcome and the development of different types of strength in the learner and, as will be seen, may pertain to personality traits and/or disciplinary differences. Reflection is a key part of experiential learning as it ‘turns experience into learning’ (Boud et al., 1985). Because of misunderstanding, overuse and its passive and negative connotations, reflection has had a worse press than it deserves, but it is also true that the research evidence about how it works is lacking. To learn from experience we need to examine and analyse the experience; this is what reflection means in this context. It may be a similar action to the one that we may consciously or subconsciously use when taking a deep approach to learning. Reflection and reflective practice are not easy concepts. With regard to higher education they may be applied to the learning of students, and equally to the professional development of the lecturer (see Part 3). Schon (1987), in examining the relationship between professional knowledge and professional competence, suggests that rather than looking to another body of research knowledge, practitioners should become more adept at observing and learning through reflection on the artistry of their own particular profession. ‘Reflection on practice’ (on experience) is central to learning and development of knowledge in the professions. Recognised ‘experts’ in the field exhibit distinct artistry. This artistry cannot be learned solely through conventional teaching methods – it requires role models, observation of competent practitioners, self-practice, mentors, experience in carrying out all the tasks of one’s job and reflection upon that practice. Support in developing reflection is often necessary, for example by using prompts and feedback. Such reflective practice is a key aspect of lifelong learning. 16 ❘ Teaching, supervising, learning

Health sector accreditation research: a systematic review.

Abstract: Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze research into accreditation and accreditation processes. Data sources. A multi-method, systematic review of the accreditation literature was conducted from March to May 2007. The search identified articles researching accreditation. Discussion or commentary pieces were excluded. Study selection. From the initial identification of over 3000 abstracts, 66 studies that met the search criteria by empirically examining accreditation were selected. Data extraction and results of data synthesis. The 66 studies were retrieved and analyzed. The results, examining the impact or effectiveness of accreditation, were classified into 10 categories: professions’ attitudes to accreditation, promote change, organizational impact, financial impact, quality measures, program assessment, consumer views or patient satisfaction, public disclosure, professional development and surveyor issues. Results. The analysis reveals a complex picture. In two categories consistent findings were recorded: promote change and professional development. Inconsistent findings were identified in five categories: professions’ attitudes to accreditation, organizational impact, financial impact, quality measures and program assessment. The remaining three categories—consumer views or patient satisfaction, public disclosure and surveyor issues—did not have sufficient studies to draw any conclusion. The search identified a number of national health care accreditation organizations engaged in research activities. Conclusion. The health care accreditation industry appears to be purposefully moving towards constructing the evidence to ground our understanding of accreditation.

Teacher learning: the key to educational reform

Abstract: This letter to the next president of the United States recommends the transformation of teacher in-service learning as a powerful means of education reform. Too often, professional development is p...

Professionalism, professionality and the development of education professionals

Abstract: What purpose is served by renovation or redesign of professionalism, and how successful a process is it likely to be? This article addresses these questions by examining the effectiveness as a professional development mechanism of the imposition of changes to policy and/or practice that require modification or renovation of professionalism. The ‘new’ professionalisms purported to have been fashioned over the last two or three decades across the spectrum of UK education sectors and contexts have been the subject of extensive analysis, and this article avoids going over old ground and revisiting issues that have already been much debated. Nevertheless, the example of UK government education policy during this period is used as a basis for considering the pitfalls associated with mechanisms for modifying professionalism through a reform and standards agenda. The article's analysis incorporates re-definition and examination of the concept and substance of professionalism and offers new perspectives ...

Standardized Test Outcomes for Students Engaged in Inquiry-Based Science Curricula in the Context of Urban Reform.

Abstract: Considerable effort has been made over the past decade to address the needs of learners in large urban districts through scaleable reform initiatives. We examine the effects of a multifaceted scaling reform that focuses on supporting standards based science teaching in urban middle schools. The effort was one component of a systemic reform effort in the Detroit Public Schools, and was centered on highly specified and developed project-based inquiry science units supported by aligned professional development and learning technologies. Two cohorts of 7th and 8th graders that participated in the project units are compared with the remainder of the district population, using results from the high- stakes state standardized test in science. Both the initial and scaled up cohorts show increases in science content understanding and process skills over their peers, and significantly higher pass rates on the statewide test. The relative gains occur up to a year and a half after participation in the curriculum, and show little attenuation with in the second cohort when scaling occurred and the number of teachers involved increased. The effect of participation in units at different grade levels is independent and cumulative, with higher levels of participation associated with similarly higher achievement scores. Examination of results by gender reveals that the curriculum effort succeeds in reducing the gender gap in achievement experienced by urban African-American boys. These findings demonstrate that standards-based, inquiry science curriculum can lead to standardized achievement test gains in historically underserved urban students, when the curriculum is highly specified, developed, and aligned with professional development and administrative

Why Do Teachers Not Practice What They Believe regarding Technology Integration

Abstract: Research findings indicate that teachers' beliefs play an important role in their deciding how they will integrate technology into the classroom. The author used qualitative research methods to explore the relations between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and technology integration. Participants were 12 Taiwanese high school teachers, and findings indicated inconsistency between the teachers' expressed beliefs and their practices. The author categorized the reasons for the inconsistency into 3 interrelated aspects: (a) the influence of external factors, (b) teachers' limited or improper theoretical understanding, and (c) teachers' other conflicting beliefs. The author presents suggestions for school settings, professional development, and future research.

“I'll never play professional football” and other fallacies of self-assessment

Abstract: It is generally well accepted in health professional education that self-assessment is a key step in the continuing professional development cycle. While there has been increasing discussion in the community pertaining to whether or not professionals can indeed self-assess accurately, much of this discussion has been clouded by the fact that the term self-assessment has been used in an unfortunate and confusing variety of ways. In this article we will draw distinctions between self-assessment (an ability), self-directed assessment seeking and reflection (pedagogical strategies), and self-monitoring (immediate contextually relevant responses to environmental stimuli) in an attempt to clarify the rhetoric pertaining to each activity and provide some guidance regarding the implications that can be drawn from making these distinctions. We will further explore a source of persistence in the community’s efforts to improve self-assessment despite clear findings from a large body of research that we as humans do not (and, in fact, perhaps cannot) self-assess well by describing what we call a “they not we” phenomenon. Finally, we will use this phenomenon and the distinctions previously described to advocate for a variety of research projects aimed at shedding further light on the complicated relationship between self-assessment and other forms of self-regulating professional development activities.

An Integrative Approach to Leader Development: Connecting Adult Development, Identity, and Expertise

Abstract: Part 1. Overview and Purpose. 1. Introduction. Part 2. Perspectives from Adult Development Literature. 2. Accelerating Leader Development. 3. Leader Development as Adult Development. 4. Understanding Personal Trajectories of Development. Part 3. Fundamental Aspects of Adult Development. 5. Identity Development. 6. Moral Development. 7. Epistemic Cognition, Reflective Judgment, and Critical Reasoning. Part 4. Learning-based Approaches to Leadership. 8. Mental Models: Leadership as a Set of Cognitive Frames. 9. Expertise - Leadership as a Set of Skills. 10. Leader Development Through Learning from Experience. 11. Leadership Development and Teams. Part 5. Integrative Theory of Leader Development. 12. General Overview of Developing the Expert Leader. 13. Identity Processes in Leader Development. 14. Adult Development Processes in Leader Development. Part 6. Future Directions. 15. Research Needs and Practical Implications. References. Appendix A: Glossary of Terms. Appendix B: Measurement Tools.

Faculty development: Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Abstract: Medical education has evolved to become a discipline in its own right. With demands on medical faculties to be socially responsible and accountable, there is now increasing pressure for the professionalisation of teaching practice. Developing a cadre of professional and competent teachers, educators, researchers and leaders for their new roles and responsibilities in medical education requires faculty development. Faculty development is, however, not an easy task. It requires supportive institutional leadership, appropriate resource allocation and recognition for teaching excellence. This guide is designed to assist those charged with preparing faculty for their many new roles in teaching and education in both medical and allied health science education. It provides a historical perspective of faculty development and draws on the medical, health science and higher education literature to provide a number of frameworks that may be useful for designing tailored faculty development programmes. These frameworks can be used by faculty developers to systematically plan, implement and evaluate their staff development programmes. This guide concludes with some of the major trends and driving forces in medical education that we believe will shape future faculty development.

Teachers’ Views on Factors Affecting Effective Integration of Information Technology in the Classroom: Developmental Scenery

Abstract: This article reports on an exploratory, longitudinal study, which examined six teachers' views on the factors that affect technology use in classrooms. The research examined teachers of grades 4, 5, and 6—for three years, studying the teachers both as a group and as individual case studies. Three case studies were selected for analysis, with the aim of exploring the relation between the changes that occurred in the teach-ers' educational views and practices as a result of their exposure to teaching and learning with the aid of rich technology and their views on factors affecting technology integration. The findings point to two developmental patterns in teach-ers' views on the factors affecting technology use in the classroom: the first is concerned with the source of influence on technology adoption, and focuses mainly on the human factor; the second is concerned with the nature of the influence when using technology in the classroom, ranging from technical to cognitive transformation. The three case studies reveal three different profiles of change and demonstrate the complex relations between teachers' orientations concerning the conditions affecting technology use, and the changes that occur in teachers' views and practices.

Development of a tool to assess teachers’ level of reflective practice

Abstract: This article describes the development, validation process, and construction of an instrument to assess a teacher’s level of reflection. It discusses the need for a commonly shared language to categorize the various levels involved in becoming a critically reflective teacher. The research design for the creation of the Survey of reflective practice: A tool for assessing development as a reflective practitioner initially called for identifying individuals who had conducted research on the development of reflective practice and then soliciting their expert judgment in establishing specific descriptors to define levels of reflective practice utilizing an online interactive format. The aim of this assessment tool is to provide a way to gauge how a prospective or practicing teacher is progressing as a reflective practitioner to serve as a vehicle for facilitating the development of structures to mediate higher order reflection.

UK consensus statement on the content of communication curricula in undergraduate medical education.

Abstract: Context: The teaching and assessment of clinical communication have become central components of undergraduate medical education in the UK. This paper recommends the key content for an undergraduate communication curriculum. Designed by UK educationalists with UK schools in mind, the recommendations are equally applicable to communication curricula throughout the world. Objectives: This paper is intended to assist curriculum planners in the design, implementation and review of medical communication curricula. The document will also be useful in the education of other health care professionals. Designed for undergraduate education, the consensus statement also provides a baseline for further professional development. Methods: The consensus statement, based on strong theoretical and research evidence, was developed by an iterative process of discussion between communication skills leads from all 33 UK medical schools conducted under the auspices of the UK Council of Clinical Communication Skills Teaching in Undergraduate Medical Education. Discussion: How this framework is used will inevitably be at the discretion of each medical school and its implementation will be determined by different course designs. Although we believe students should be exposed to all the areas described, it would be impractical to set inflexible competency levels as these may be attained at different stages which are highly school-dependent. However, the framework will enable all schools to consider where different elements are addressed, where gaps exist and how to generate novel combinations of domains within the communication curriculum. It is hoped that this consensus statement will support the development and integration of teaching, learning and assessment of clinical communication. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008.

Reframing Teacher Professional Learning: An Alternative Policy Approach to Strengthening Valued Outcomes for Diverse Learners

Abstract: This chapter engages in the debate about what counts as professional knowledge from the perspective of improving outcomes for diverse learners. We begin by highlighting the importance of assumptions about appropriate roles for teachers and how those assumptions have shaped the debate about what teachers need to know. Then we consider some myths and evidence about teacher agency that have contributed to a recent international shift in policy attention to the importance of teacher knowledge and, more particularly, how to develop teacher agency and capability. The main focus of the chapter is on a policy approach to building a multidisciplinary evidence base in education that both identifies the kinds of teacher knowledge that has a positive impact on a range of student outcomes and, at the same time, develops that knowledge through a national collaborative knowledge-building and knowledge-use strategy. The approach described is the New Zealand Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) Programme, which deliberately and systematically draws on and develops a rich multidisciplinary knowledge base in education. We situate our account of this program within (a) a comparison of a range of international policy approaches to strengthening the evidence base informing what teachers need to know, (b) a vision of the role of teaching as responsive to diverse learners and the evolving challenges of the 21st century, and (c) a touchstone of effectiveness as defined by impacts on a range of valued learner outcomes. We present the findings of a new synthesis of the evidence from 97 empirical studies that identify the development of the kinds of teacher knowledge that have a demonstrated positive impact on outcomes for diverse learners. The

Special or Inclusive Education: Future Trends.

Abstract: In this article, Lani Florian, Professor of Social and Educational Inclusion at the University of Aberdeen, examines the relationships between ‘special’ and ‘inclusive’ education. She looks at the notion of specialist knowledge among teachers and at the roles adopted by staff working with pupils with ‘additional’ or ‘special’ needs in mainstream settings. She explores the implications of the use of the concept of ‘special needs’– especially in relation to attempts to implement inclusion in practice – and she notes the tensions that arise from these relationships. She goes on to ask a series of questions: How do teachers respond to differences among their pupils? What knowledge do teachers need in order to respond more effectively to diversity in their classrooms? What are the roles of teacher education and ongoing professional development? How can teachers be better prepared to work in mixed groupings of pupils? In seeking answers to these questions, Lani Florian concludes that we should look at educational practices and undertake a thorough examination of how teachers work in their classrooms. She suggests that it is through an examination of ‘the things that teachers can do’ that we will begin to bring meaning to the concept of inclusion.

Teaching English Language Learners in the Content Areas

Abstract: This review examines current research on teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) in four content area subjects: History, math, English, and science. The following topics are examined in each content area: The linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural features of academic literacy and how this literacy can be taught; general investigations of teaching; and professional development or teacher education issues. The article summarizes key findings in the literature, examining trends and discontinuities across the different content areas, and concludes with implications for teaching and suggestions for further research.

Teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and their planning and conduct of computer‐mediated classroom lessons

Abstract: In this study, we observed and interviewed six teachers from two Singapore primary school classrooms. The schools were reportedly achieving high levels of computer integration as reflected in a nationwide questionnaire survey. Out of the 18 lessons that we observed, 14 lessons have incorporated some elements of constructivist teaching. However, closer examination revealed that the underlying orientation of the lessons was inclined towards information acquisition and regurgitation. Five out of the six teachers we interviewed were reportedly inclined towards constructivist notion of teaching. The teachers accounted for the inconsistency between their espoused beliefs and the teacher-centric teaching practice as due to contextual constraints. The teachers expressed that the need to complete the syllabi according to stipulated schedules so as to get the students ready for examination was the main barriers that prevented them from engaging in more constructivist teaching. This case study therefore highlights that although it is necessary for teachers to hold pedagogical beliefs that are compatible with the constructivist notion of teaching and learning, this is an insufficient condition to shift traditional teaching practice. Changes in assessment systems and substantial professional development are further conditions that have to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflective Language Teaching: From Research to Practice

Abstract: Reflective Language Teaching Self-Reflection Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Teachers' Narratives Teachers' Language Proficiency (Thomas S.C. Farrell and Jack C. Richards) Teachers' Metaphors and Maxims Classroom Communication Action Research Teaching Journals Teacher Development Groups Classroom Observations Critical Friendships Concept Mapping Professional Development Through Reflective Language Teaching.

Towards a Theory of Doctoral Student Professional Identity Development: A Developmental Networks Approach

Abstract: (2009). Towards a Theory of Doctoral Student Professional Identity Development: A Developmental Networks Approach. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 80, No. 1, pp. 1-33.