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Article
Publication date: 30 August 2023

Yaw Owusu-Agyeman

As universities find new ways of implementing professional development programs (PDPs), very few scholarly studies have examined how teachers could advance their knowledge and…

Abstract

Purpose

As universities find new ways of implementing professional development programs (PDPs), very few scholarly studies have examined how teachers could advance their knowledge and skills through PDPs that are developed based on nonformal learning approaches. To address this knowledge gap, the current study examines how PDPs could be facilitated using nonformal learning approaches to enhance the current and future professional practice of teachers in a South African University.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for the current study were gathered using semistructured face-to-face interviews among 28 teachers who were purposively sampled from the university. The interview data gathered were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings

The four themes that emerged from the narrative data analyzed were: developing teacher professional practice through diverse nonformal learning arrangements; challenges associated with PDPs that are designed using nonformal learning arrangements; teacher rationale for participating in PDPs that follow nonformal learning arrangements and; the role of leadership in professional development. The findings reveal that nonformal approaches are used widely in the professional development of teachers and teachers have diverse reasons for joining PDPs. Further, leadership also plays a major role in the professional development of teachers.

Practical implications

When HEIs use nonformal learning approaches to facilitate PDPs, they could 1) enable teachers to easily transfer the knowledge they acquire from the PDPs to the teaching and learning setting and 2) create a situated learning environment where experienced teachers and other experts support the professional development of young teachers.

Originality/value

This paper presents original ideas on how nonformal learning approaches could be used to facilitate PDPs and to enhance the professional practice of teachers in HEIs.

Details

Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, vol. 38 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7282

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 6 April 2018

Abstract

Details

Teacher Leadership in Professional Development Schools
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-404-2

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Rachel Shanks

The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue focussing on the mentoring of beginning teachers which supports the professional learning of not only mentees but also…

1958

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue focussing on the mentoring of beginning teachers which supports the professional learning of not only mentees but also mentors. The paper identifies the varied aims of beginning teacher mentoring programmes, some of the reasons for mentoring and an introduction to the six research papers published in the issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The papers in this issue examine different perspectives relating to the mentoring of student teachers and newly qualified teachers (NQTs). Different types of mentoring relationships are examined in various international contexts. The research, from Australia, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Norway, Scotland, the USA and Wales, addresses the challenges that can occur in mentoring relationships, and enables us to better understand the professional learning that takes place in successful mentoring relationships.

Findings

The authors of the papers delineate how critical reflective practice, inquiry into professional practice, collaboration and professional learning for both mentees and mentors are key aims for many mentoring programmes. The six studies used different methods to investigate external and/or school-based mentoring programmes for student teachers and NQTs.

Research limitations/implications

A snapshot of current research into professional learning is provided with most studies being small qualitative ones. However, common themes can be identified across countries and contexts. The authors of each paper outline the implications for teacher education for their own contexts, as well as for international contexts.

Originality/value

Teacher education programmes employ mentoring pairs and triads in order to develop particular traits and reflective practices in teachers. Research shows how mentor programmes provide classroom experience and professional learning for student and NQTs as well as professional learning for teacher mentors. University tutors play a key role in supporting not only the mentees and mentors but also the mentoring relationship.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2017

Keith Wood

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in the current issue and invite comments from the readers of the journal.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in the current issue and invite comments from the readers of the journal.

Design/methodology/approach

This editorial review is intended to stimulate a discussion about the effect of iterative models of professional development, the meaning of student-centred learning, valid evidence of teacherslearning through collaborative professional development, teachers’ responses to top-down innovation and the cultural script of teaching, all of which are focal in the texts published in Issue 6.3 of the journal.

Findings

The boundaries between lesson and learning studies, top-down and bottom-up innovations, teacher learning and teacher participation and cultural scripts are far from distinct and for good reasons.

Originality/value

This editorial review provides an overview of the insights and issues identified by the authors in this issue of the journal.

Details

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-8253

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 March 2009

Jianhua Zhao, David McConnell and Yinjian Jiang

This paper aims to first, examine teachers' conception of e‐learning and second, is to reveal how e‐learning is applied in teaching and learning in the field of Chinese higher…

1931

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to first, examine teachers' conception of e‐learning and second, is to reveal how e‐learning is applied in teaching and learning in the field of Chinese higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Various issues are reviewed in the instruction part, i.e. e‐learning applications in China, research and practices of e‐learning. The methodology applied in this study is phenomenography. Twenty‐four Chinese participants were interviewed in‐depth based on a protocol developed in the planning stage. The interviews are analysed from a grounded theory perspective and a set of conceptual categories are proposed.

Findings

Five categories, i.e. the centrality of the lecture, online cooperation learning, network learning, student learning, and infrastructure and access are identified in terms of the phenomenographic study. The findings demonstrate that the traditional teaching methods that dominate in China are unlikely to present conditions for mainstreaming e‐learning in the near future.

Practical implications

Traditional Chinese teaching culture still dominates in higher education, and teachers' conceptions do influence their teaching behaviours. Therefore, a training programme could be developed based on the categories of teachers' conceptions of e‐learning.

Originality/value

This study helps us to understand how Chinese teachers understand e‐learning and how they utilise e‐learning in their teaching and learning.

Details

Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1065-0741

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2024

Ming Fai Pang and Wing Wah Ki

The aim of this study is to illuminate the perceptions of the essential factors for sustaining Learning Study of the curriculum leaders who have led Learning Study in schools over…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to illuminate the perceptions of the essential factors for sustaining Learning Study of the curriculum leaders who have led Learning Study in schools over a sustained period.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a case study research approach to explore the perspectives of the curriculum leaders regarding the sustainability of Learning Study. Data were collected through interviews, observations and document analysis. To analyse the data, thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes related to the research aim.

Findings

Four themes were deemed crucial by the curriculum leaders for sustaining Learning Study: (1) integrating Learning Study into the overall development plan of the school, with milestones recognisable by all stakeholders; (2) developing a shared understanding of and patience towards the different developmental needs of stakeholders; (3) developing a sustained programme of professional development for teachers regarding variation theory of learning, which underpins Learning Study; and (4) creating an improvement culture and a safe environment for sustaining professional development. We argue that Learning Study models should be flexible that they fit various school contexts while retaining the aim of enabling learning.

Originality/value

Sustaining Learning Study in schools becomes a challenge if support in the form of government funding and research involvement from tertiary institutions is withdrawn. This study is the first to voice the opinions of school curriculum leaders regarding this complex issue, who play a key role in initiating, implementing and sustaining Learning Study.

Details

International Journal for Lesson & Learning Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-8253

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2024

Dian Arief Pradana, I. Nyoman Sudana Degeng, Dedi Kuswandi and Made Duananda Kartika Degeng

This case study examines the experiences of 20 student teachers at an Indonesian private university in enhancing their self-efficacy in utilizing instructional technology.

Abstract

Purpose

This case study examines the experiences of 20 student teachers at an Indonesian private university in enhancing their self-efficacy in utilizing instructional technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The participants of this study had different cultural backgrounds and spoke different indigenous languages. Situated in diverse classroom settings, the participants were interviewed using online platforms to examine their learning experience when learning to integrate technology into teaching. Furthermore, observational data were collected through photographs taken during the learning process to triangulate the findings.

Findings

Grounded in case study analysis, the study reveals three emerging themes indicating the development of the preservice teachers' confidence in multilingual classrooms: (1) designing technology-mediated learning activities, (2) using learning technology to foster students' autonomy in learning and (3) promoting peer engagement in diverse classrooms through technology-based learning. Furthermore, the participants demonstrated their ability to develop self-efficacy in overcoming the challenges associated with technology use in education by adapting, innovating, and collaborating.

Research limitations/implications

The study has three limitations. First, the limited number of participants involved in the study restricts the generalizability of the findings and does not allow for testing the potential influence of variables such as age, gender or experience on preservice teachers' beliefs. Second, limitation pertains to the reliability of self-report data provided by the preservice teachers. Given that self-efficacy can fluctuate over time, a longitudinal study is needed to investigate whether preservice teachers' self-efficacy in utilizing technology for learning evolves over time. Third, while the study was conducted in diverse classroom settings, it lacks an in-depth exploration of how cultural diversity impacts the learning outcomes of these preservice teachers.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that nurturing the technological self-efficacy of preservice teachers enhances their competence in technology-mediated pedagogy, both during the pandemic of COVID-19 and in the future.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 15 November 2017

Dianne Chambers

Teachers are increasingly required to include students with disabilities in mainstream classroom settings. In order to effectively prepare pre-service teachers to address the…

Abstract

Teachers are increasingly required to include students with disabilities in mainstream classroom settings. In order to effectively prepare pre-service teachers to address the needs of all students in the classroom, including students with disabilities, teacher-training programs must utilise effective pedagogy. Service-learning has been shown to be an effective pedagogy to employ to address the knowledge/learning needs of pre-service teachers. This chapter will build upon the use of service-learning to increase knowledge and will discuss the importance and practice of also developing positive attitudes towards students with disabilities. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Azjen, 2002) is utilised as a basis for developing the service-learning program, and exemplifies three main elements as being necessary to bring about behavioural change: behavioural beliefs, normative beliefs and control beliefs. The pre-service teachers described in this chapter are completing a special education specialisation at a tertiary institution, and are required to complete a service-learning unit as a component of the specialisation. Reflection, an important requirement for service-learning programs, allows the researcher to determine if the goals of the program have been met, and how these outcomes relate to the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the potential they may have to bring about behavioural change for the pre-service teachers. Six main themes were identified in the pre-service teacher reflections. These themes were further divided into two main categories: affective (empathy, personal growth, confidence); and cognitive (knowledge, skill development, enhanced professional practice). Links between the pre-service teacher reflections and the Theory of Planned Behaviour suggest that the service-learning experience is beneficial for developing pre-service teachers who are more inclined to address the needs of students with disabilities.

Details

Service-Learning
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-185-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Mirit Rachamim and Lily Orland-Barak

This in-depth case study examined the mentor's role in mediating a culturally diverse community of student teachers-as-learners in the context of practice teaching in university…

Abstract

Purpose

This in-depth case study examined the mentor's role in mediating a culturally diverse community of student teachers-as-learners in the context of practice teaching in university teacher education in Israel. Specifically, it explored how the mentor's response to cultural aspects of learning to teach shaped the group's learning environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection included 23 video-recorded meetings of the learning community and semi-structured interviews with all four participants.

Findings

Findings proposed six actions of the mentor that aimed at promoting an empathetic and supportive learning environment that encouraged collaborative talk around culturally diverse issues that surfaced during practice teaching. Implications for teacher education programs are presented and discussed.

Practical implications

The study offers a practical framework of tools (or mentor actions) that can help mentors to promote social interactions in culturally diverse mentoring conversational settings.

Originality/value

The study identified six actions that can serve as tools in mediating sensitive discourse to issues of diversity in communities of culturally diverse learners.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 May 2020

Deborah L. Butler and Leyton Schnellert

Research is starting to suggest the value of professional learning networks (PLN) in terms of supporting educators in their practice. But further research is needed into how…

Abstract

Research is starting to suggest the value of professional learning networks (PLN) in terms of supporting educators in their practice. But further research is needed into how teachers’ on-going learning and practice development can be supported by features unique to a PLN. To fill that gap, the research described in this chapter examined the ways in which opportunities and supports for educators embedded within a unique multi-layered PLN enhanced and strengthened their knowledge and practice. Across one-year of a longitudinal project, we gathered multiple forms of evidence to trace 18 teachers’ experiences. Findings reported in this chapter identified conditions in the PLN overall that were combining to support teachers’ inquiry-oriented learning and practice. In addition, the authors conducted an in-depth analysis of one teacher’s experiences. The detailed analyses of this embedded case further uncovered how supports at different “grain sizes” (i.e., across the year; out-of-class activities; reflections in/on practice) were combining to foster shifts in her practice and transformative learning over time. The authors conclude with implications for conceptualizing how a multi-layered PLN can be structured to support teachers’ professional learning and practice development.

Details

Professional Learning Networks: Facilitating Transformation in Diverse Contexts with Equity-seeking Communities
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-894-9

Keywords

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