Professional development

About: Professional development is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 81108 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1316681 citations.

Factors Affecting Teachers' Use of Information and Communication Technology.

Abstract: Research studies in the past decade have shown that computer technology is an effective means for widening educational opportunities, but most teachers neither use technology as an instructional delivery system nor integrate technology into their curriculum. Studies reveal a number of factors influencing teachers’ decisions to use ICT in the classroom: non-manipulative and manipulative school and teacher factors. These factors are interrelated. The success of the implementation of ICT is not dependent on the availability or absence of one individual factor, but is determined through a dynamic process involving a set of interrelated factors. It is suggested that ongoing professional development must be provided for teachers to model the new pedagogies and tools for learning with the aim of enhancing the teaching-learning process. However, it is important for teacher trainers and policy makers to understand the factors affecting effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different approaches to ICT use in teacher training so training strategies can be appropriately explored to make such changes viable to all.

The influence of teaching experience and professional development on Greek teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion

Abstract: On the assumption that the successful implementation of any inclusive policy is largely dependent on educators being positive about it, a survey was undertaken into the attitudes of Greek teachers to inclusion. The 155 respondents were general education primary teachers drawn from one region of Northern Greece, with a proportion deliberately selected from schools identified as actively implementing inclusive programmes. The analysis revealed positive attitudes towards the general concept of inclusion but variable views on the difficulty of accommodating different types of disabilities in mainstream classrooms. Teachers who had been actively involved in teaching pupils with SEN held significantly more positive attitudes than their counterparts with little or no such experience. The analysis also demonstrated the importance of substantive long-term training in the formation of positive teacher attitudes towards inclusion. The paper concludes with recommendations for developing critical professional development courses that can result in attitudinal change and the formulation of genuinely inclusive practices.

Power and empowerment in nursing: three theoretical approaches.

Abstract: Power and empowerment in nursing: three theoretical approaches Definitions and uses of the concept of empowerment are wide-ranging: the term has been used to describe the essence of human existence and development, but also aspects of organizational effectiveness and quality. The empowerment ideology is rooted in social action where empowerment was associated with community interests and with attempts to increase the power and influence of oppressed groups (such as workers, women and ethnic minorities). Later, there was also growing recognition of the importance of the individual’s characteristics and actions. Based on a review of the literature, this paper explores the uses of the empowerment concept as a framework for nurses’ professional growth and development. Given the complexity of the concept, it is vital to understand the underlying philosophy before moving on to define its substance. The articles reviewed were classified into three groups on the basis of their theoretical orientation: critical social theory, organization theory and social psychological theory. Empowerment seems likely to provide for an umbrella concept of professional development in nursing.