WorldWideScience

Sample records for professional development implications

  1. Teacher educators: their identities, sub-identities and implications for professional development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Swennen, J.M.H.; Jones, K.; Volman, M.L.L.

    2010-01-01

    In this article we address the question: 'What sub-identities of teacher educators emerge from the research literature about teacher educators and what are the implications of the sub-identities for the professional development of teacher educators?' Like other professional identities, the identity

  2. The National Health Service Knowledge and Skills Framework and its implications for continuing professional development in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gould, Dinah; Berridge, Emma-Jane; Kelly, Daniel

    2007-01-01

    The National Health Service Knowledge and Skills Framework has been introduced as part of the Agenda for Change Reforms in the United Kingdom to link pay and career progression to competency. The purpose of this paper is to consider the implications for nurses, their managers and the impact on university departments delivering continuing professional development for nurses. The new system has the potential to increase the human resources management aspect of the clinical nurse managers' role and could have legal implications, for example if practitioners perceive that their needs for continuing professional development have been overlooked to the detriment of their pay and career aspirations. The new system also has implications for providers of continuing professional development in the universities and is likely to demand closer liaison between education providers and trust staff who commission education and training. The Knowledge and Skills Framework is of interest to nurses and nurse educators internationally because the system, if effective, could be introduced elsewhere.

  3. Discourse analysis and personal/professional development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyes, C.

    2004-01-01

    The article discusses discourse analysis and its relevance to personal and professional development, drawing on elements of social theory. Related terms such as text, discourse and genre are defined and social theoretical implications explored. Practical application of discourse analysis to CPD is illustrated. A case is developed for understanding contemporary practice and the construction of personal and professional identity through discourse. Understanding discourse is presented as an enabling structure for personal and professional development

  4. An outline of the need for psychology knowledge in health professionals: implications for community development and breast cancer prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadian, Maryam; Samah, Asnarulkhadi Abu; Saidu, Mohammed Bashir

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge of health and community psychology in health professionals influences psychosocial and community determinants of health and promoting participation in disease prevention at the community level. This paper appraises the potential of knowledge on psychology in health care professionals and its contribution to community empowerment through individual behavior change and health practice. The authors proposed a schematic model for the use of psychological knowledge in health professionals to promote participation in health interventions/disease prevention programs in developing countries. By implication, the paper provides a vision on policies towards supporting breast cancer secondary prevention efforts for community health development in Asian countries.

  5. Issues in Cognitive Psychology: Implications for Professional Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regehr, Glenn; Norman, Geoffrey R.

    1996-01-01

    Research developments in cognitive psychology, and their implications for teaching and learning at the level of professional education, are summarized. Areas discussed include organization of long-term memory, influences on storage and retrieval from memory, problem solving and transfer/use of analogy, concept formation/categorization/pattern…

  6. Benchmarking Professional Development Practices across Youth-Serving Organizations: Implications for Extension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garst, Barry A.; Baughman, Sarah; Franz, Nancy

    2014-01-01

    Examining traditional and contemporary professional development practices of youth-serving organizations can inform practices across Extension, particularly in light of the barriers that have been noted for effectively developing the professional competencies of Extension educators. With professional development systems changing quickly,…

  7. Stages of Teachers' Careers: Implications for Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Judith; And Others

    This monograph on the development of teachers' careers synthesizes researchers' prescriptions for early-, mid-, and late-career professional development; and describes successful programs that demonstrate sensitivity to the stages of teachers' growth. The first chapter, "Teachers' Career Development," reviews current adult- and career-stage…

  8. EAL Teacher Agency: Implications for Participation in Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurney, Laura; Liyanage, Indika

    2016-01-01

    Teachers construct their practice, education and professional development within two domains of professionalism: sponsored and independent. The association between these two domains, however, is complex; it is overlapping, inseparable and sometimes uneasy. The complexity is further exacerbated by the codependent nature of association between the…

  9. Teachers as Learners: Implications of Adult Education for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beavers, Amy

    2009-01-01

    Effective communication with teachers is a critical element of any successful professional development. Teachers are the foundational component of any educational system. It is vital that adequate attention is focused on appropriate and effective training of these teachers. Ideally, professional development offers a means of collaborative support…

  10. Union Contracts and Teacher Professional Development

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    Paul V. Bredeson

    2001-07-01

    Full Text Available In this article, I report the results of an investigation that examined the impact of teacher union contracts on the development of professional learning communities in schools. There are three primary sources of data used in the study: 1 100 written teacher union contract documents; 2 structured interview data from 21 educators (school superintendents, principals, directors of staff development, and teacher union representatives; and 3 focus group interview data from educational leaders in schools. The analysis and discussion focus on five areas related to teacher professional development with implications for policy and practice: explicit language covering opportunities for teaching learning in their work; governance and decision making structures, that is, specific provisions covering wages, hours, and conditions of employment; the description of legitimate and sponsored activities for the professional development of teachers; and the resources supporting the on-going professional growth of teachers. The findings indicate that rethinking, restructuring, and organizational re-culturing in schools are initial expressions of a new unionism that has the potential to lead to the development of more powerful professional learning communities in schools.

  11. The Professional-Bureaucratic Conflict: Origins, Implications, Resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angona, Judith; Williams, Leonard B.

    1981-01-01

    Examines the literature on the inevitable conflict in modern organizations between the professional's training for self-administration and bureaucratic denial of individual initiative and draws implications for administrative techniques that can help win the loyalty of a professional staff. (Author/WD)

  12. Measuring Return on Investment for Professional Development Activities: Implications for Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opperman, Cathleen; Liebig, Debra; Bowling, Judith; Johnson, Carol Susan; Harper, Mary

    2016-01-01

    What is the return on investment (ROI) for the time and resources spent for professional development activities? This is Part 2 of a two-part series to report findings and demonstrate how financial analysis of educational activities can drive decision-making. The resources consumed for professional development activities need to be identified and quantified to be able to determine the worth of such activities. This article defines terms and formulas for financial analysis for nursing professional development practitioners to use in analysis of their own programs. Three fictitious examples of common nursing professional development learning activities are provided with financial analysis. This article presents the "how to" for the busy practitioner.

  13. INFLUENCE OF THE INTELLIGENCE PROJECT AT HARVARD COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION. IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SECOND AND THIRD CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mercedes Ramos Fresno

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to identify the influence of the Harvard Project on IQ Intelligence students of second and third cycle of primary education and the implications for the organizational and professional development of teachers . The experience has been developed over four courses in a public school in Madrid. The methodology used , complementary , included group designs with pretest-posttest measures , participant observation and interviews. The results show the positive impact of PIH on IQ and can say that the application of PIH produce cognitive improvements in students , as measured by the intelligence test "g" of Cattell . Regarding the implications for the organizational and professional development, we have found that the implementation of PIH promotes the development of teacher professional autonomy , commitment to teaching practice , and the necessary self-criticism to constantly evaluate , creating flexible educational proposals through self-reflection. The communication of this experience positively influences both the school community and the local community, encouraging them to participate in educational projects aimed at improving the quality of teaching- learning and education.

  14. Steps to Successful Professional Development in Head Start

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trivette, Carol M.; Raab, Melinda; Dunst, Carl J.

    2012-01-01

    This article discusses the implications of utilizing coaching-mentoring strategies with Head Start teachers identified from the results of a study which used an evidence-based approach to professional development. Early childhood and coaching practices that formed the basis of the study are explained. Implications from the study results regarding…

  15. Tanzanian midwives' perception of their professional role and implications for continuing professional development education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Brooke; Michael, Rene; Butt, Janice; Hauck, Yvonne

    2016-03-01

    This study explored Tanzanian midwives' perceptions of their professional role within their local context. Findings were to inform recommendations for continuing professional development education programs by Western midwifery educators. Using focus group interviews with sixteen Tanzanian midwives, the findings revealed that the midwives' overwhelming focus was on saving lives of women and newborns. The fundamental elements of saving lives involved prioritising care through receiving handover and undertaking physical assessment. Midwives were challenged by the poor working conditions, perceived lack of knowledge and associated low status within the local community. Based upon these findings, recommendations for continuing professional development education for Tanzanian midwives must ensure that saving lives is a major focus and that strategies taught must be relevant to the low-resource context of this developing country. In recognition of the high-risk women being cared for, there needs to be a focus on the prevention and management of maternity emergencies, in collaboration with medical practitioners. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Science Teachers' Conceptualizations and Implications for the Development of the Professional Development Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaymakamoglu, Sibel Ersel

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the two primary school science teachers' conceptions of professional development, their perceptions of self-improvement and the factors influencing their professional development. In this investigation, a case study approach was adopted. The participant teachers were given a semi-structured interview and the data…

  17. Development and Factor Structure of the Helping Professional Wellness Discrepancy Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blount, Ashley J.; Lambie, Glenn W.

    2018-01-01

    The authors present the development of the Helping Professional Wellness Discrepancy Scale (HPWDS). The purpose of this article is threefold: (a) present a rationale for the HPWDS; (b) review statistical analyses procedures used to develop the HPWDS; and (c) offer implications for counselors, other helping professionals, and future research.

  18. Five generations in the nursing workforce: implications for nursing professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Julie A

    2013-01-01

    Positive patient outcomes require effective teamwork, communication, and technological literacy. These skills vary among the unprecedented five generations in the nursing workforce, spanning the "Silent Generation" nurses deferring retirement to the newest "iGeneration." Nursing professional development educators must understand generational differences; address communication, information technology, and team-building competencies across generations; and promote integration of learner-centered strategies into professional development activities.

  19. Micro-pigmentation: implications for patients and professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collingridge, Kim; Calcluth, Julie

    In the UK, reconstructive breast surgery is routinely offered to patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer. The results can be excellent, but without a nipple-areola complex the patient can feel incomplete. In response to patient need, an innovative nurse-led micro-pigmentation service has been developed in the authors' NHS trust, which provides women (and men) an opportunity to complete their reconstruction process. With the use of coloured pigments, micro-pigmentation creates a permanent image of a nipple-areola complex, which improves the aesthetic appearance of the surgically-created breast. As with the development of any new nurse-led innovation, the micro-pigmentation service has professional and client implications. Breast cancer can be devastating and may induce many psychological concerns, not least about body image and sexuality. This article addresses these issues, along with professional matters, such as autonomous practice, role expansion and the blurring of clinical boundaries. These factors are considered in relation to the nursing management of the micro-pigmentation service, where patient autonomy is encouraged to promote acceptance of self-image and closure on the breast cancer experience.

  20. An Examination of the Relationship between Professional Development Providers' Epistemological and Nature of Science Beliefs and Their Professional Development Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia Arriola, Alfonso

    strong influence on the design of professional development, and those providing science education professional development have diverse views about epistemology and the nature of science. The results and conclusions from this study lead to a discussion of implications and recommendations for the planning and design of professional development for science teachers, including the need to making equity and social justice issues an integral part of inquiry and scientific practice.

  1. Elm Street School:A Case Study of Professional Development Expenditures

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    H. Alix Gallagher

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses the question of how much is spent on teachers' professional development.  A review of the literature finds two problems that have frequently led to inaccurate estimates of professional development spending: 1 the accounting codes that are used in many studies provide little description of spending, and 2 studies generally focus on district or state expenditures for professional development, but do not collect data on school-level spending.  These problems are compounded by the fact that studies define professional development spending differently, and thus it is difficult to compare findings across studies.  In an effort to begin to address this problem, this study utilizes a detailed cost structure to analyze both district and school site expenditures on professional development across cost categories.  The study found that school-level expenditures were a significant source of professional development for teachers.  This has implications for the methodologies used to estimate current professional development expenditures and what level of expenditures would be necessary to generate dramatic improvements in student achievement.

  2. Teacher Training and Professional Development Needs in the Literacy Field: Implications of the New Spanish Programs for Elementary Education in Costa Rica

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    Ana María Hernández-Segura

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available This article considers the training and professional development of teachers in the literacy field, in order to analyze the implications of implementing the new Spanish program for Elementary Education in Costa Rica. For this purpose, the results obtained from questionnaires completed by current elementary teachers are shared, in order to get firsthand knowledge of their professional training and experience, as well as their training and pedagogical needs in the literacy field. Among the main findings of the research, it is considered as critical that the teachers’ own training and professional development regarding the initial processes of reading and writing allow them to fully comprehend the theoretical background of the Elementary Level Spanish Program; otherwise, there is a risk of misinterpretations and incorrect practices that might jeopardize the Program´s approach.

  3. Organizational Ethics Development and the Human Resource Professional.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrick, Joseph A.

    1992-01-01

    Surveys literature on organizational moral development and describes research methodology employed, summarizes research findings, and examines career implications for human resource professionals. Contends that institutionalizing an ethics program can impact favorably on both the organization and the career of the implementing human resource…

  4. What is the veterinary professional identity? Preliminary findings from web-based continuing professional development in veterinary professionalism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armitage-Chan, E; Maddison, J; May, S A

    2016-03-26

    Professionalism and professional skills are increasingly being incorporated into veterinary curricula; however, lack of clarity in defining veterinary professionalism presents a potential challenge for directing course outcomes that are of benefit to the veterinary professional. An online continuing education course in veterinary professionalism was designed to address a deficit in postgraduate support in this area; as part of this course, delegates of varying practice backgrounds participated in online discussions reflecting on the implications of professional skills for their clinical practice. The discussions surrounding the role of the veterinary professional and reflecting on strengths and weaknesses in professional skills were analysed using narrative methodology, which provided an understanding of the defining skills and attributes of the veterinary professional, from the perspectives of those involved (i.e. how vets understood their own career identity). The veterinary surgeon was understood to be an interprofessional team member, who makes clinical decisions in the face of competing stakeholder needs and works in a complex environment comprising multiple and diverse challenges (stress, high emotions, financial issues, work-life balance). It was identified that strategies for accepting fallibility, and those necessary for establishing reasonable expectations of professional behaviour and clinical ability, are poorly developed. British Veterinary Association.

  5. Evaluating Graduate Education and Transcending Biases in Music Teachers' Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laor, Lia

    2015-01-01

    Research concerning professional development and its contribution to the formation of professional identity is prevalent in both general and music education. However, its implications for music educators in the context of graduate programs for music education are seldom discussed. This mixed-methods case study examined experienced music teachers'…

  6. Teacher Professional Development

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    Nareerat Rakwichitkul

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Teacher professional development are the teachers’ learning process throughout their career stages to ensure that teachers have knowledge, skills and needed competencies for teaching among rapid changes in social, economic and technology which have the impact on learning and teaching. This article deals with the topics of the framework for teaching, teacher career stages and teacher professional development. The research findings related to teacher professional development, teacher professional development activities, suggestions for planning the professional development. Those research findings can be applied and implemented by the school principals, educational supervisors and other professional developers.

  7. Exploring Change in EFL Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, Mohammad; Moradi, Khaled

    2017-01-01

    Continuous professional development (CPD) is important for teachers in attaining sustainable education. Accordingly, exploring teachers' perceptions could be a significant endeavor as teachers' beliefs impact their classroom practices, thereby, impacting student learning and, thus have educational implications. Therefore, this study was designed…

  8. Professional development of medical students: problems and promises.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wear, D

    1997-12-01

    Observers and critics of the medical profession, both within and without, urge that more attention be paid to the moral sensibilities, the characters, of medical students. Passing on particular moral values and actions to physicians has always been an essential core of medical training, and this call for renewal is not new in modern medicine. Some of the structures and characteristics of modern medical education, however, often work directly against the professionalism that the education espouses. For example, medical students are socialized into a hierarchy that has broad implications for relations among health care professionals, other health care workers, and patients, and academic medicine has not promoted and taught critical reflection about the values and consequences of this hierarchy. Further, behind the formal curriculum lies the "hidden curriculum" of values that are unconsciously or half-consciously passed on from the faculty and older trainees. Two resources for thinking anew about professional development for medical students are feminist standpoint theory and critical multicultural theory, each of which raises important and fundamental questions about defining the role of medicine in society and the role of the physician in medicine. The author discusses these two theories and their implications for medical education, showing how they can be used to move discussions of professional development into analysis of the widespread social consequences of how a society organizes its health care and into critical reflection on the nature of medical knowledge.

  9. The Factors that Affect Science Teachers' Participation in Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roux, Judi Ann

    Scientific literacy for our students and the possibilities for careers available in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are important topics for economic growth as well as global competitiveness. The achievement of students in science learning is dependent upon the science teachers' effectiveness and experienced science teachers depend upon relevant professional development experiences to support their learning. In order to understand how to improve student learning in science, the learning of science teachers must also be understood. Previous research studies on teacher professional development have been conducted in other states, but Minnesota science teachers comprised a new and different population from those previously studied. The purpose of this two-phase mixed methods study was to identify the current types of professional development in which experienced, Minnesota secondary science teachers participated and the factors that affect their participation in professional development activities. The mixed-methods approach s utilized an initial online survey followed by qualitative interviews with five survey respondents. The results of the quantitative survey and the qualitative interviews indicated the quality of professional development experiences and the factors which affected the science teachers' participation in professional development activities. The supporting and inhibiting factors involved the availability of resources such as time and money, external relationships with school administrators, teacher colleagues, and family members, and personal intrinsic attributes such as desires to learn and help students. This study also describes implications for science teachers, school administrators, policymakers, and professional development providers. Recommendations for future research include the following areas: relationships between and among intrinsic and extrinsic factors, science-related professional development activities

  10. Undergraduate and Teaching Assistants' Perceptions of Classroom Community in Freshman Biological Sciences Laboratories and Implications for Persistence and Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kardohely, Andrew

    The American economy hinges on the health and production of science, technology engineering and mathematics workforce (STEM). Although this sector of the American workforce represents a substantially fewer jobs the STEM workforce fuels job growth and sustainability in the other sectors of the American workforce. Unfortunately, over the next decade the U.S. will face an additional deficit of over a million STEM professionals, thus the need is here now to fill this deficit. STEM education should, therefore, dedicated to producing graduates. One strategy to produce more STEM graduates is through retention of student in STEM majors. Retention or persistence is highly related to student sense of belonging in academic environments. This study investigates graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) perceptions of their classrooms and the implications of those perceptions on professional development. Furthermore, correlations between classroom community and student desire to persist, as measured by Rovai's Classroom Community Index (CCI) were established (P=0.0311). The interactions are described and results are discussed. Using a framework of teaching for community, and a qualitative analytic case study with memo writing about codes and themes methodology supported several themes including passion to teach and dedication to student learning, innovation in teaching practices based on evidence, an intrinsic desire to seek a diverse set of feedback, and instructors can foster community in the classroom. Using the same methodology one emergent theme, a tacit rather than explicit understanding of reading the classroom, was also present in the current study. Based on the results and using a lens for professional development, strategies and suggestions are made regarding strategies to enhance instructors' use of feedback and professional development.

  11. STEM professional development: What's going on from the presenters' and participants' perspectives?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Randi

    have implications for educators, policy makers, and developers of professional development. Future research is needed to add to the small body of literature about STEM professional development, specifically research to fully understand the structure of STEM professional development and how this differs for other areas of learning.

  12. Critical Care Nurses' Reasons for Poor Attendance at a Continuous Professional Development Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viljoen, Myra; Coetzee, Isabel; Heyns, Tanya

    2016-12-01

    Society demands competent and safe health care, which obligates professionals to deliver quality patient care using current knowledge and skills. Participation in continuous professional development programs is a way to ensure quality nursing care. Despite the importance of continuous professional development, however, critical care nurse practitioners' attendance rates at these programs is low. To explore critical care nurses' reasons for their unsatisfactory attendance at a continuous professional development program. A nominal group technique was used as a consensus method to involve the critical care nurses and provide them the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and challenges related to the current continuous professional development program for the critical care units. Participants were 14 critical care nurses from 3 critical care units in 1 private hospital. The consensus was that the central theme relating to the unsatisfactory attendance at the continuous professional development program was attitude. In order of importance, the 4 contributing priorities influencing attitude were communication, continuous professional development, time constraints, and financial implications. Attitude relating to attending a continuous professional development program can be changed if critical care nurses are aware of the program's importance and are involved in the planning and implementation of a program that focuses on the nurses' individual learning needs. ©2016 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

  13. Fostering Special Education Certification through Professional Development, Learning Communities and Mentorship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trahan, Mitzi P.; Olivier, Dianne F.; Wadsworth, Donna E.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to present mixed methodology evaluation data regarding a professional development initiative designed to offer non-certified special education teachers specialized classroom and teacher certification support. The project was grounded in evidence-based strategies that resulted in direct implications for teacher…

  14. Competency-based continuing professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Craig; Silver, Ivan; Sherbino, Jonathan; Cate, Olle Ten; Holmboe, Eric S

    2010-01-01

    Competence is traditionally viewed as the attainment of a static set of attributes rather than a dynamic process in which physicians continuously use their practice experiences to "progress in competence" toward the attainment of expertise. A competency-based continuing professional development (CPD) model is premised on a set of learning competencies that include the ability to (a) use practice information to identify learning priorities and to develop and monitor CPD plans; (b) access information sources for innovations in development and new evidence that may potentially be integrated into practice; (c) establish a personal knowledge management system to store and retrieve evidence and to select and manage learning projects; (d) construct questions, search for evidence, and record and track conclusions for practice; and (e) use tools and processes to measure competence and performance and develop action plans to enhance practice. Competency-based CPD emphasizes self-directed learning processes and promotes the role of assessment as a professional expectation and obligation. Various approaches to defining general competencies for practice require the creation of specific performance metrics to be meaningful and relevant to the lifelong learning strategies of physicians. This paper describes the assumptions, advantages, and challenges of establishing a CPD system focused on competencies that improve physician performance and the quality and safety of patient care. Implications for competency-based CPD are discussed from an individual and organizational perspective, and a model to bridge the transition from residency to practice is explored.

  15. Developing critical reflection for professional practice through problem-based learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, B

    2001-04-01

    To explore the influence of current learning traditions in nursing on the development of reflection and critical reflection as professional practice skills and to offer suggestions for nursing education that will specifically facilitate the development of critical reflection. ORGANIZATIONAL CONSTRUCTS: Mezirow's transformative learning theory, Barrows conceptualization of problem-based learning (PBL). Integrative literature review of published literature related to nursing, health science education and professional education from 1983-2000. Professional education scholars concur that specialized knowledge is clearly essential for professional practice, however, they also suggest that self-consciousness (reflection) and continual self-critique (critical reflection) are crucial to continued competence. While strategies to facilitate reflection have been outlined in the literature, specific strategies to facilitate the development of critical reflection and implications for nursing education are much less clear. Advocates of reflective and critically reflective practice suggest that the development of these abilities should be inextricably linked to professional development and can be developed through active repeated guided practice. In health care, PBL based on constructivism, has been identified as one way to facilitate the development of these skills. Nursing learners exposed to PBL develop the ability to be reflective and critically reflective in their learning and acquire the knowledge and skill within the discipline of nursing by encountering key professional practice situations as the stimulus and focus of their classroom learning. The learners' ability to be both reflective and critically reflective in their learning is developed by critical questioning of the faculty tutor during situational analysis, learning need determination, application of knowledge, critique of resources and personal problem-solving processes, and summarization of what was learned.

  16. Professional Development. Issue Brief

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    Keleher, Julia

    2017-01-01

    In this professional development research brief, the author sets forth the overarching considerations that should be kept in mind when conceptualizing professional development for educators working with neglected or delinquent youth (N or D). The brief begins by defining professional development and demonstrating why it is a critical support for…

  17. Evaluating professional development

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    Guskey, Thomas R

    2000-01-01

    This is a practical guide to evaluating professional development programs at five increasing levels of sophistication: participants' reaction to professional development; how much participants learned; evaluating organizational support and change; how participants use their new knowledge and skills; and improvements in student learning.

  18. A Model of Professional Development: Teachers' Perceptions of Their Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avidov-Ungar, Orit

    2016-01-01

    This research aims to evaluate the manner in which teachers perceive their professional development process. Forty-three teachers from Israeli schools participated in the study. I used a semi-structured interview to understand the teachers' perceptions about their professional development. The qualitative analysis identified two dimensions that…

  19. The development of the Teaching Professional Identity in the initial training of secondary teachers

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    Rocío SERRANO RODRÍGUEZ

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available We present a study that aims to know how the students of the Master’s Degree in Secondary Teacher Training begin to build their Teaching Professional Identity, as well as what the main implications of this identification process are, in order to improve their training. Through an open questionnaire, a total of 355 opinions of students from the University of Córdoba have been analysed. The conclusions obtained highlight: a the students show a professional identity that is significantly less developed than in other professional groups; b it is important to develop activities to reflect on the nature of the teaching profession by improving the identification of students with the characteristics of the teaching profession. Some of the implications from this research point to the need to take into consideration the results obtained when designing the process of initial training of future secondary teachers. Particularly, it would be necessary to include the issue of Teaching Professional Identity more specifically in the curriculum of the new model of initial training. This, moreover, should be linked to the pedagogical knowledge of the contents and the acquisition of real teaching skills according to the development of the educational curriculum for each subject. 

  20. Professional development and poststructural analysis: Stories of African-American science teachers

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    Moore, Felicia Michelle

    2003-10-01

    This interpretivist study focused on the professional development of three African American science teachers from a small rural school district, Carver School District (pseudonym), in the southeastern United States. Stories teachers shared of their experiences in teaching and learning science and in their professional development were analyzed using a feminist poststructural analysis of power, knowledge/meaning, language, and difference. For science teaching, power was viewed as a form of ownership or possession and also as effect and processes that impact teaching, learning, and professional development. Teachers through instructional practices exerted a certain amount of power in their classrooms. Teaching practices heavily influenced student learning in science classrooms. For teacher professional development, power was viewed as effecting relationships between administration, peers, and students as a shifting force within different social contexts. Science teachers were perceived as objects of the system and as active social agents who in particular relations of power acted in their best interests as they developed as science teachers. Teachers negotiated for themselves certain power relations to do as they wished for teaching science and for participating in teacher professional development activities. Power was an inherent and critically important aspect in understanding what science teachers do in their classrooms, in teaching and learning science, and in developing as science teachers. Knowledge was closely tied to relations of power in that teachers acquired knowledge about themselves, their teaching of science, and their students from their past experiences and professional development activities. Through language, interactions between teachers and students enabled or disabled access to the culture of power via instructional practices. Language was implicated in teacher professional development as a powerful force for advancing or hindering teachers

  1. Energy Project professional development: Promoting positive attitudes about science among K-12 teachers

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    Amy D. Robertson

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Promoting positive attitudes about science among teachers has important implications for teachers’ classroom practice and for their relationship to science as a discipline. In this paper, we report positive shifts in teachers’ attitudes about science, as measured by the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science (CLASS survey, over the course of their participation in a professional development course that emphasized the flexible use of energy representations to understand real world scenarios. Our work contributes to the larger effort to make the case that professional development matters for teacher learning and attitudes.

  2. Utilisation of an electronic portfolio to engage rehabilitation professionals in continuing professional development: results of a provincial survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foucault, Marie-Lyse; Vachon, Brigitte; Thomas, Aliki; Rochette, Annie; Giguère, Charles-Édouard

    2018-06-01

    ePortfolios are frequently used to support continuing professional development (CPD) of rehabilitation professionals. Though this tool is now widely implemented in many professions by regulatory organisations, very few studies have investigated the use and impact among rehabilitation professionals. Implementation of comprehensive ePortfolios that are centred on the needs of rehabilitation professionals requires documenting their level of use and perceived outcomes. The objectives were to describe how occupational therapists use a mandatory ePortfolio that has been recently implemented by a regulatory organisation in Quebec (Canada) and the perceived outcomes of this requirement on continuing professional development and practice change. An online survey was sent to all registered occupational therapists in Quebec using the ePortfolio. The survey content was developed based on a literature review and expert consultation. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics. A total of 546 respondents completed the survey. Results show relatively high levels of ease and satisfaction with the tool, but a limited perception of the tool's impacts on the improvement of professional competencies and change in practices. Occupational therapists reported that use of the ePortfolio supports their engagement in CPD but has limited impact on practice. Promotion of work-based learning, team use and mentor support could increase its meaningfulness for professionals. Implications for Rehabilitation To improve attitudes and beliefs about benefits related to portfolio use, rehabilitation practitioners need a very clear understanding of the purpose and usefulness of a portfolio in clinical practice. Most of the respondents saw the ePortfolio as helping them develop and implement a continuing professional development plan and reflect on the changes needed in their practice. Portfolio use in teams and productive reflection should be promoted in order to target shared objectives for

  3. Professionalism in its time and place: some implications for medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Tim J; Moore, Maryleigh; Flynn, Eleanor M

    2012-07-29

    Professionalism is fundamental to good medical practice but is multifaceted so observing that a person is professional in some areas will not guarantee that person would be professional in others. Most definitions of professionalism include a commitment to self-monitor and to improve; some personal virtues; and effective relationships with colleagues, patients and people who are important to those patients. In addition, it is suggested that expectations of professionalism may alter depending on context, both of time and place. Societal expectations relating to professionalism are likely to change over time and our expectations of individuals may alter according to the stage of training. The environment (the workplace, one's colleagues, the work tasks) is also highly influential on the manifestation of professional behaviours. The medical profession's social contract in relation to professionalism will always need to be updated. The effect of time and place means that searching for innate or stable elements of professionalism, in order to predict subsequent behaviours, is therefore difficult. This has implications for the selection, education and assessment of medical students. The focus should be on how to build adaptability and resilience to contextual influences; to identify those elements of professionalism that can be learnt; and build systems of assessment that reflect professionalism's multifaceted and contextual aspects.

  4. Through the eyes of professional developers: Understanding the design of learning experiences for science teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higgins, Tara Eileen

    perspective guiding the curriculum design, and consider multiple goals for student and teacher learning. The study has implications for professional development design, particularly in supporting inquiry-oriented science and technology-enhanced instruction. Effective professional developers formulate coherent conceptions of program goals, use evidence of teacher outcomes to refine their goals and practices, and connect student and teacher learning. This study illustrates the value of research on the individuals who design and lead professional development programs.

  5. Who Are the Science Teachers That Seek Professional Development in Research Experience for Teachers (RET's)? Implications for Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saka, Yavuz

    2013-01-01

    To address the need to better prepare teachers to enact science education reforms, the National Science Foundation has supported a Research Experience for Teachers (RET's) format for teacher professional development. In these experiences, teachers work closely with practicing scientists to engage in authentic scientific inquiry. Although…

  6. International standards for tuberculosis care: Relevance and implications for laboratory professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pai M

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available On World Tuberculosis (TB Day 2006, the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ISTC was officially released and widely endorsed by several agencies and organizations. The ISTC release was the culmination of a year long global effort to develop and set internationally acceptable, evidence-based standards for tuberculosis care. The ISTC describes a widely endorsed level of care that all practitioners, public and private, should seek to achieve in managing individuals who have or are suspected of having, TB and is intended to facilitate the effective engagement of all healthcare providers in delivering high quality care for patients of all ages, including those with smear-positive, smear-negative and extra-pulmonary TB, TB caused by drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and TB/HIV coinfection. In this article, we present the ISTC, with a special focus on the diagnostic standards and describe their implications and relevance for laboratory professionals in India and worldwide. Laboratory professionals play a critical role in ensuring that all the standards are actually met by providing high quality laboratory services for smear microscopy, culture and drug susceptibility testing and other services such as testing for HIV infection. In fact, if the ISTC is widely followed, it can be expected that there will be a greater need and demand for quality assured laboratory services and this will have obvious implications for all laboratories in terms of work load, requirement for resources and trained personnel and organization of quality assurance systems.

  7. Leading and Managing Continuing Professional Development: Developing People, Developing Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Earley, Peter; Bubb, Sara

    2004-01-01

    This book has been written for those who lead and manage continuing professional development (CPD). Continuing professional development co-coordinators hold a key role and one that needs to be developed further in many schools. This book is intended to help people think more deeply about the professional development and training of staff--all…

  8. Promoting teachers' professional development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Runhaar, Pietsje Roelofje

    2008-01-01

    Because teacher quality has a great influence on pupil attainment, teachers’ professional development receives a lot of attention in educational policy. This dissertation contains five studies on how teachers’ professional development, in terms of learning at the workplace, can be explained and

  9. Cultural Influences on the Professions in European Union Countries and Their Implications for Continuing Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Anna; Thomas, Edward

    1996-01-01

    Although the European Union encourages professional mobility, the practice of continuing professional development (CPD) in pharmacy and law in various countries shows that cultural differences may hinder cross-border mobility. It is also surprising that universities are relatively little involved in CPD. (SK)

  10. The Structural Model of Future Employees̕ Personal and Professional Self-Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhanna G. Garanina

    2017-12-01

    fecting the process of self-development of future social sphere specialists. Discussion and Conclusions: the structural model of the personal-professional self-development includes a set of interconnected components: value-semantic, reflexive and regulative. The main factor influencing the process of personal and professional self- development of future professionals is the indicator of the meaningfulness of life, which is significantly associated with readiness to self-knowledge and selfdevelopment and affect the level of self-development. The desire for self-development can be considered as one of the personal and professional values, which give future professionals the opportunity to feel the meaningfulness of life, satisfaction with the process and its results, and achieve their personal and professional goals. The results of this study have several important implication for practicing psychologists who can broaden the scope of research of self-development and self- identity processes and determine the basic ways of self-realization of the young people potential in their prof essional career.

  11. Health and safety implications of injury in professional rugby league football.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gissane, C; White, J; Kerr, K; Jennings, S; Jennings, D

    2003-12-01

    Professional sport is characterized by high injury rates but is also covered by health and safety legislation. To examine the incidence of injury in professional rugby league as defined by the Reporting of Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). All injuries received during playing and training to both first-team and 'academy' (rugby league is much higher than reported in other high-risk occupations such as mining and quarrying. The large differences in injury rates between first and academy teams have implications for young players likely to progress to first-team status.

  12. Teachers’ professional development: An analysis of the use of Professional Development Plans in a Dutch school

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, Sandra; Kreijns, Karel; Theo, Bastiaens; Stijnen, Sjef; Vermeulen, Marjan

    2018-01-01

    Professional development of teachers has become an essential condition in today’s knowledge-based society to sustain the quality of teaching. Therefore, the Dutch government promotes this now professional development. As a result, Professional Development Plans (PDPs) are now increasingly used to

  13. Who Provides Professional Development? A Study of Professional Development in Qatar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Donald; Reynolds, Dudley; Toledo, Will; Abu-Tineh, Abdullah Mohammad Hamdan

    2016-01-01

    This paper argues that understanding what is offered as professional development frames what matters in English language teaching in a national education system. Analyzing these offerings articulates the values and perceptions of the work environment in which teachers live professionally. The "Learning4Teaching" ("L4T") project…

  14. The development of a professional development intervention for mathematical problem-solving pedagogy in a localised context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brantina Chirinda

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This article reports on the design and findings of the first iteration of a classroom-based design research project which endeavours to design a professional development intervention for teachers’ mathematical problem-solving pedagogy. The major outcome of this study is the generation of design principles that can be used by other researchers developing a professional development (PD intervention for mathematical problem-solving pedagogy. This study contributes to the mathematical problem-solving pedagogy and PD body of knowledge by working with teachers in an under-researched environment (an informal settlement in Gauteng, South Africa. In this iteration, two experienced Grade 9 mathematics teachers and their learners at a public secondary school in Gauteng, South Africa, participated in a 6-month intervention. Findings from the data are discussed in light of their implications for the next cycle and other PD studies.

  15. The development of professional competence of future professional teachers

    OpenAIRE

    Muslimov Narzulla Alixanovich; Kadyrov Khayot Scharipovich

    2015-01-01

    This article outlines the elements of professional and personal, theoretical and practical components of pedagogical activities, serving the measure and method of creative self-realization of a professional education teacher in the resolution of various pedagogical situations aimed at professional competence development.

  16. Professional development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McAndrew-Benavidas, E.

    2007-01-01

    This presentation outlines the functions of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear. Activities of the organization include professional development, recruiting, retention, public outreach, leadership, networking, workforce issues, mentoring and communications

  17. Narrative in interprofessional education and practice: implications for professional identity, provider-patient communication and teamwork.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Phillip G

    2014-01-01

    Health and social care professionals increasingly use narrative approaches to focus on the patient and to communicate with each other. Both effective interprofessional education (IPE) and practice (IPP) require recognizing the various values and voices of different professions, how they relate to the patient's life story, and how they interact with each other at the level of the healthcare team. This article analyzes and integrates the literature on narrative to explore: self-narrative as an expression of one's professional identity; the co-creation of the patient's narrative by the professional and the patient; and the interprofessional multi-vocal narrative discourse as co-constructed by members of the healthcare team. Using a narrative approach to thinking about professional identity, provider-patient communication, and interprofessional teamwork expands our thinking about both IPE and IPP by providing new insights into the nature of professional practice based on relationships to oneself, the patient, and others on the team. How professionals define themselves, gather and present information from the patient, and communicate as members of a clinical team all have important dimensions that can be revealed by a narrative approach. Implications and conclusions for the further development of the narrative approach in IPE and IPP are offered.

  18. Learning to teach mathematics with technology: A survey of professional development needs, experiences and impacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennison, Anne; Goos, Merrilyn

    2010-04-01

    The potential for digital technologies to enhance students' mathematics learning is widely recognised, and use of computers and graphics calculators is now encouraged or required by secondary school mathematics curriculum documents throughout Australia. However, previous research indicates that effective integration of technology into classroom practice remains patchy, with factors such as teacher knowledge, confidence, experience and beliefs, access to resources, and participation in professional development influencing uptake and implementation. This paper reports on a large-scale survey of technology-related professional development experiences and needs of Queensland secondary mathematics teachers. Teachers who had participated in professional development were found to be more confident in using technology and more convinced of its benefits in supporting students' learning of mathematics. Experienced, specialist mathematics teachers in large metropolitan schools were more likely than others to have attended technology-related professional development, with lack of time and limited access to resources acting as hindrances to many. Teachers expressed a clear preference for professional development that helps them meaningfully integrate technology into lessons to improve student learning of specific mathematical topics. These findings have implications for the design and delivery of professional development that improves teachers' knowledge, understanding, and skills in a diverse range of contexts.

  19. Standards and Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zengler, Cynthia J.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the professional development that has taken place in conjunction with Ohio adopting the College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards. The professional development (PD) has changed over time to include not only training on the new standards and lesson plans but training on the concepts defined in the…

  20. Integrating professional behavior development across a professional allied health curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsoumas, Linda J; Pelletier, Deborah

    2007-01-01

    Professional behaviors are an integral part of clinical practice in all allied health and medical fields. A systematic process for instruction, the education, and development of professional behaviors, cannot be taught in the same way that memorization of human anatomy or medical terminology is taught. One cannot expect professional behaviors to just appear in an individual upon graduation and entry into a health care field. Professional behavior development is an essential component of physical therapy professional education and is clearly defined through the guiding documents of the American Physical Therapy Association, which include 'A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education,' 'Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapists,' and the 'Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.' Building a comprehensive and progressive curricular thread for professional behaviors can pose a challenge for a professional program and the core faculty. This paper will present a curricular model of weaving professional behaviors into a core entry-level professional curriculum using a specific curricular thread, activities for different levels of students, and assessment at each point in the path. This paper will demonstrate the potential for universal application of a professional behaviors.

  1. Planning Considerations for Afterschool Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradshaw, L. Daniele

    2015-01-01

    Professional development is vital to the success of afterschool programs. Effective professional development enhances afterschool program quality by facilitating staff performance and knowledge; in addition, professional development is vital for improving student learning outcomes (Bouffard & Little, 2004; Hall & Surr, 2005; Joyce &…

  2. professional development through informal learning' : workshop

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    dr.ir. Quinta Kools

    2013-01-01

    professional development through informal learning In planning professional development for teachers or teacher educators, very often a formal course or training is offered. There is a lack of attention for the fact that a lot of professional development takes place at work through so-called

  3. Professional Competence and Continuing Professional Development in Accounting: Professional Practice vs. Non-Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Brid

    2017-01-01

    In 2004, the International Federation of Accountants introduced International Education Standard 7 (IES 7), requiring all member professional accounting bodies to adopt mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) schemes. IES 7 places responsibility on individual accounting practitioners to maintain, develop and certify appropriate…

  4. Developing the Developers: Supporting and Researching the Learning of Professional Development Facilitators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Emily; Boylan, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Research on teacher professional development is extensive but there are fewer studies about the practitioners who facilitate professional development. Here we report on a pilot programme for professional development facilitators rooted in a cycle of action research. Informed by a categorisation of professional knowledge and skills of facilitators,…

  5. Education practitioners' understanding of professional development ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The committee of Teacher Education Policy (COTEP) considers the professional development of practitioners as one way to improve the quality of professional practice. An analysis of the literature on professional development in education ...

  6. Development of professional expertise in optometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faucher, Caroline

    2011-04-01

    Development of professional expertise is the gradual transition from novice to expert within a profession. Studies on expertise in the profession of optometry have never been published. However, many studies have been performed in other health professions (e.g., nursing, medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy). This report is an overview of the development of professional expertise that will highlight some applications for optometry. A 5-level scale of professional expertise development, divided into 2 parts, is described. The first part is the progression of students during their professional studies (novice, intermediate, competent). The second part is the professional development occurring during the practice years (advanced, expert). Personal and collective efforts are required to foster the progression toward expertise. Great interest for the profession, motivation, and deliberate practice are individual attitudes that help this progression. The "optometric community of practice," by means of university (professional) training, continuing education, and collaboration between colleagues, also contributes to this process. Professional development is an integral part of the Optometric Oath. Each clinical case is a potential learning experience contributing to one's professional development. Optometrists' attitudes are predominant factors in the progression from one level to another. Copyright © 2011 American Optometric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Sex-specific substance abuse treatment for female healthcare professionals: implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koos, Erin; Brand, Michael; Rojas, Julio; Li, Ji

    2014-01-01

    Gender plays a significant role in the development and treatment of substance abuse disorders. Sex-specific treatment for girls and women has recurrently proven more effective, with better outcomes than traditional treatment. Research on impaired healthcare professionals (HCPs) has largely focused on men, garnering little attention for women and sex differences. With the increasing numbers of female HCPs, it is imperative to identify potential sex differences that may have implications for treatment. Our study compared a convenience sample of male and female HCPs with substance abuse disorders treated in an outpatient program to identify sex differences that may have implications for treatment. Our sample consisted of 96 HCPs (54 men, 42 women) and 17 non-healthcare professional (N-HCP) women. All of the participants were evaluated using the program's clinical interview and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Chart review data contained categorical variables, qualitative variables, diagnoses, and psychological test scores. A second analysis was conducted through two separate comparisons: the PAI results of comparing impaired female HCPs with impaired male HCPs and the PAI results of comparing impaired female HCPs with impaired female N-HCPs. Statistically significant differences indicated more male participants received prior treatment and more intensive treatment than female participants. More female subjects reported being diagnosed as having a comorbid psychiatric condition and taking psychotropic medications. Several statistically significant differences in the PAI scores were found. Among female HCPs, elevations were found in anxiety, depression, paranoia, and borderline personality disorder. Substantive differences, although not statistically significant, were elevations in somatic complaints and anxiety disorders in female HCPs. In the comparison of female HCPs and N-HCPs, the only statistically significant difference was the significantly higher

  8. COURSERA ONLINE COURSE: A PLATFORM FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS’ MEANINGFUL AND VIBRANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnis Silvia

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This article reports on English teachers‘ attitudes towards a professional development program run by Coursera (coursera.org. These teachers were participants of Foundation of Teaching for Learning 1: Introduction online course. Using a survey case study, the findings reveal that most of the participants perceive the course as a well-organized and effective platform to engage in professional learning. Coursera is an online learning platform offering various courses for teacher educators which are meaningful (closely related to their daily teaching practice and vibrant (involves active collaboration among peer participants to review and assess their projects. Albeit this nature, another finding shows that the participants lament that their institutions do not provide professional development (PD support. In fact, PD programs are not constrained to face-to-face encounters, since it can be designed using online platforms such as Coursera, a massive open online course (MOOC. Accordingly, the contribution of the article is to show how online platforms make meaningful and vibrant teacher professional development (TPD possible. The implication of the study is that school administrators and policy makers should provide support for their teachers to take online PD programs. This professional learning should contribute to the best teaching practice and student learning attainment.

  9. Observation Tools for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malu, Kathleen F.

    2015-01-01

    Professional development of teachers, including English language teachers, empowers them to change in ways that improve teaching and learning (Gall and Acheson 2011; Murray 2010). In their seminal research on staff development--professional development in today's terms--Joyce and Showers (2002) identify key factors that promote teacher change.…

  10. Psychosocial Influences upon the Workforce and Professional Development Participation of Family Child Care Providers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swartz, Rebecca Anne; Wiley, Angela R.; A. Koziol, Natalie; Magerko, Katherine A.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Family child care is commonly used in the US by families, including by those receiving child care subsidies. Psychosocial influences upon the workforce and professional development participation of family child care providers (FCCPs) have implications for the investment of public dollars that aim to improve quality and stability of…

  11. Imaging professionals' views of social media and its implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagley, Jennifer E; DiGiacinto, Dora D; Hargraves, Kensi

    2014-01-01

    To help radiation sciences students and professionals understand the implications of and best practices for personal postings on social media Web sites. The authors conducted a survey to capture radiologic science professionals' opinions regarding trends related to using social media for employment, as well as for their personal use. The majority of imaging professionals are mindful of their privacy settings and believe their activity on social media sites reflects on them professionally. Participants in this study noted they maintain high privacy settings. In spite of this, both supervisors and nonsupervisors in this study held opinions about the use of social media in employment decisions that are inconsistent with what can occur in the workplace. Survey respondents did not believe there should be employment sanctions for behaviors that routinely are sanctioned in the workplace. An important message that has emerged from this research is that employees should not only adhere to the strictest privacy settings on their personal social media sites, but they also should be judicious in what they choose to share, with the understanding that nothing posted online is truly private. Supervisors and nonsupervisors should become familiar with their institutional policies regarding the use of social media in the workplace, and supervisors specifically should ensure that they follow institutional policy regarding the use of social media in employment decisions.

  12. Learning reflexively from a health promotion professional development program in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremblay, Marie-Claude; Richard, Lucie; Brousselle, Astrid; Beaudet, Nicole

    2014-09-01

    In recent decades, reflexivity has received much attention in the professional education and training literature, especially in the public health and health promotion fields. Despite general agreement on the importance of reflexivity, there appears to be no consensus on how to assess reflexivity or to conceptualize the different forms developed among professionals and participants of training programs. This paper presents an analysis of the reflexivity outcomes of the Health Promotion Laboratory, an innovative professional development program aimed at supporting practice changes among health professionals by fostering competency development and reflexivity. More specifically, this paper explores the difference between two levels of reflexivity (formative and critical) and highlights some implications of each for practice. Data were collected through qualitative interviews with participants from two intervention sites. Results showed that involvement in the Health Promotion Laboratory prompted many participants to modify their vision of their practice and professional role, indicating an impact on reflexivity. In many cases, new understandings seem to have played a formative function in enabling participants to improve their practice and their role as health promoters. The reflective process also served a critical function culminating in a social and moral understanding of the impacts on society of the professionals' practices and roles. This type of outcome is greatly desired in health promotion, given the social justice and equity concerns of this field of practice. By redefining the theoretical concept of reflexivity on two levels and discussing their impacts on practice, this study supports the usefulness of both levels of reflexivity. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Climate Change Professional Development Approaches: Design Considerations, Teacher Enactment, and Student Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drewes, A.; Henderson, J.; Mouza, C.

    2017-12-01

    Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing society, and climate change educational models are emerging in response. This study investigates the implementation and enactment of a climate change professional development model for science educators and its impact on student learning. Using an intrinsic case study methodology, we focused analytic attention on how one teacher made specific curricular, pedagogical, and content decisions, and the implications of those decisions for student's conceptual learning.The research presented here reports on the instructional design, pedagogical enactment, and subsequent effects on student learning of a climate change professional development (PD) model in the United States. Using anthropological theories of conceptual travel, we traced salient ideas from the PD through instructional delivery and into the evidence of student reasoning. We sought to address the following research questions: 1) How did a middle school teacher integrate climate change concepts into her science curriculum following PD participation? and 2) How did climate change instruction influence student understanding of key climate change constructs?From observation of the classroom instruction, we determined that the teacher effectively integrated new climate change information into her pre-existing schema. Additionally, through retrospective analysis of the PD, we found the design of the PD foregrounded the causes, mechanisms and likely effects of anthropogenic climate change at the expense of mitigation and adaptation strategies, and this differentially shaped how climate change was taught in the teacher's classroom. Analysis of student reasoning evidence showed that students gained an increased understanding of the enhanced greenhouse effect and the implications of human activity on this enhanced effect at statistically significant levels and with moderate effect sizes. However, students demonstrated a limited, though non-significant gain on

  14. THE TEACHER’S HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FORMATION IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Елена Владимировна Лопуга

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to representation of results of experimental work on formation of a healthy lifestyle of teachers with a various pedagogical experience in the conditions of professional development.Purpose: to analyse dynamics of formation of components of a healthy lifestyle and changes of levels of dominance of the relation to health and a healthy lifestyle in groups of teachers where the developed model of advanced training courses was applied.Methodology: express assessment of individual level of own health, testing of teachers, practical training on formation of an optimum motive stereotype, development of complexes of various exercises, development of methods of increase of a resistance to stress; reflexive activity of participants of the courses.Results: statistically significant growth of level of the relation to health at the vast majority of respondents, irrespective of qualification category and the official status.Practical implications: professional development of the various experts who are engaged in training of adults, and also future educators carrying out vocational training, health care and social protection.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-9-78

  15. Perspectives on Science Teacher Professional Development: A study of the ASSET Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeves, Katrina; Miller, Scott; Foster, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    The Astronomy Summer School of East Texas (ASSET) is a two-year NASA-funded teacher professional development program created to help improve middle and high school science teachers' knowledge of and attitudes toward astronomy. During an intensive summer astronomy course experience, science teachers are taught astronomy concepts and principles through engaging pedagogical techniques. The workshop models hands-on/minds-on teaching strategies that strengthened teachers' own pedagogical content knowledge and ways of teaching astronomy to students.As part of our second year of ASSET, participants were observed and interviewed before, during and after the workshop experience to ascertain their perspectives on their own professional development and understanding of astronomy. Interview data, participant observations, surveys, and artifact data (journaling, one-minute papers, etc...) were analyzed and three broad themes emerged regarding the significance of the ASSET experience on teacher enhancement of content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and the significance of teacher professional development communities in teaching and learning science. We will discuss the major implications of our observations and outline what tools and techniques can be best implemented as part of professional development workshops such as ASSET.This project is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS), which is part of the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), Grant Number NNX12AH11G.

  16. Soccer Endurance Development in Professionals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roescher, C. R.; Elferink-Gemser, M. T.; Huijgen, B. C. H.; Visscher, C.

    The development of intermittent endurance capacity, its underlying mechanisms and role in reaching professional level in soccer was investigated. The sample included 130 talented youth soccer players aged 14-18, who became professional (n = 53) or non-professional (n = 77) players in adulthood. In

  17. Career Mapping for Professional Development and Succession Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Tammy; Diamond-Wells, Tammy; Jeffs, Debra

    Career mapping facilitates professional development of nurses by education specialists and nurse managers. On the basis of national Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards, our education and professional development framework supports the organization's professional practice model and provides a foundation for the professional career map. This article describes development, implementation, and evaluation of the professional career map for nurses at a large children's hospital to support achievement of the nursing strategic goals for succession planning and professional development.

  18. Designing Professional Development That Works.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birman, Beatrice F.; Desimone, Laura; Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.

    2000-01-01

    By studying survey data from 1,000 teachers participating in a Title II workshop, researchers identified three structural features (form, duration, and collective participation) that set a proper context for professional development. Three core features of professional-development learning experience include content focus, active learning, and…

  19. Creating Professional Learning Communities: The Work of Professional Development Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, Gini; Sudeck, Maria; Rattigan, Peter

    2008-01-01

    If professional learning communities offer opportunities for improving the teaching and learning process, then developing strong professional development school (PDS) partnerships establish an appropriate framework for that purpose. PDS partnerships, however, can be less than effective without proper planning and discussion about the aims of those…

  20. Early Childhood Professional Development: An Experimental Study of Adult Teaching Practices Derived from Adult Learning Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber-Mayrer, Melissa M.

    Research that describes how adults acquire and use new information, collectively called adult learning theory, has potentially important implications for facilitating such adult learning experiences as educator professional development. The purpose of this study was to examine whether integrating adult teaching practices derived from adult learning theories into early childhood educators professional development would result in better gains in educator engagement in professional development, phonological awareness abilities, phonological awareness knowledge, and language and literacy beliefs. The impact on educator engagement and educator proximal knowledge was analyzed using one way ANOVA. The impact on educator phonological awareness abilities, phonological awareness general knowledge, and beliefs was analyzed using a 3 X (2 X S) mixed analyses of variance to examine the pretest to posttest change between educators participating the three conditions. Results revealed significant findings for increased engagement in professional learning and gains in educators general knowledge. This study is a first step in understanding effective adult teaching practices that may or may not contribute to better educator outcomes and promoting more effective professional learning experiences for early childhood educators.

  1. Partnering for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis-Duerr, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    Literacy specialists are often overlooked when determining the professional development needs within a school, and yet they are arguably the school's best resource to empower teachers with professional growth to meet state mandates. How can literacy specialists be supported to increase their knowledge and skills so that all educators' and…

  2. Advancing Work Practices Through Online Professional Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noesgaard, Signe Schack

    The natural expectation for professional development courses is that they will improve a participant’s work performance, but do they? This PhD research challenges several assumptions underlying the design of online professional development courses, revealing that it is after such interventions...... was not effective and subsequently terminate change that could have advanced their practices. This underlines the need to think beyond the course format to make online professional development interventions continuous, committing, and contextual. The research suggests rethinking online professional development...... as adaptive “just-in-time” technologies and proposes a design theory called “situated online professional development,” entailing six design principles for advancing work practices....

  3. Online Professional Development: A Primer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Meg S.; Phalen, Lena; Moran, Cheryl

    2016-01-01

    Many teachers are turning to online professional development to meet their learning needs, but the vast array of available opportunities may be overwhelming. This article provides a framework for making sense of common online teacher learning opportunities. It also suggests situations where online professional development may be most useful and…

  4. Twitter and Physics Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadji, Taoufik

    2016-01-01

    The advent of Twitter® and other social media services of its type ushered in a new era of professional development in education. This article addresses how a group of users have been employing Twitter to conduct professional development sessions that would benefit their participants by advancing their pedagogical approaches to learning and…

  5. Science Faculty Belief Systems in a Professional Development Program: Inquiry in College Laboratories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchins, Kristen L.; Friedrichsen, Patricia J.

    2012-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how science faculty members' belief systems about inquiry-based teaching changed through their experience in a professional development program. The program was designed to support early career science faculty in learning about inquiry and incorporating an inquiry-based approach to teaching laboratories. Data sources for this qualitative study included three semi-structured interviews, observations during the program and during faculty members' implementation in their courses, and a researcher's journal. In the first phase of data analysis, we created profiles for each of the four participants. Next, we developed assertions, and tested for confirming and disconfirming evidence across the profiles. The assertions indicated that, through the professional development program, participants' knowledge and beliefs about inquiry-based teaching shifted, placing more value on student-directed learning and classroom inquiry. Participants who were internally motivated to participate and held incoming positive attitudes toward the mini-journal inquiry-based approach were more likely to incorporate the approach in their future practice. Students' responses played a critical role in participants' belief systems and their decision to continue using the inquiry-based format. The findings from this study have implications for professional development design.

  6. Literacy-Related Professional Development Preferences of Secondary Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Shara L.; Lee, Elizabeth A.

    2014-01-01

    A survey of 100 teachers in one Ontario school board examined their literacy-related professional development preferences. The majority preferred short durations of literacy-related professional development. A small number did not want any literacy-related professional development. The most preferred forms of professional development were shared…

  7. Physiotherapists' stories about professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, Anna F; Bolander Laksov, Klara; Fjellström, Mona

    2015-01-01

    A professional career may extend over a period of 40 years. Although learning is a feature of professional competence, little is known about learning and development after professional entry education. Narrative inquiry was used to understand how physiotherapists learned and developed over time, and stories from a purposeful sample of 12 physiotherapists were collected. Stories were thematically analyzed with regard to key elements related to learning and development, and common themes were identified across stories. Four themes emerged from the analysis where physiotherapists learned and developed in working life: (1) facing challenges; (2) contrasting perspectives; (3) drawing on hundreds of educators; and (4) building on personal experience. Non-formal ways of learning in working life may help physiotherapists learn and develop confidence, communication strategies and different approaches to treatment. Besides reflection on personal experience and patient encounters, learning and development may be promoted and supported by taking on challenges and changing settings.

  8. Information Systems Development Contracts: an exploratory study of Australian legal practitioners' and Information Systems professionals' perceptions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phil Joyce

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available IS professionals are primarily concerned with the development of a project to meet the goals of a client. Unfortunately, IS professional do not always pay close attention to the contract or to its management and are often unaware of the legal implications of the contracts to which they are assenting. Legal advice can be sought during pre-contractual processes to help ensure that the contract meets the expectations of all the parties. If the project does not meet stakeholder’s expectations, thus causing a contract to come into dispute, lawyers may be called in to review the contract and to seek a settlement. This paper reports an exploratory study of the differences in perceptions of IS development contracts that exist between IS professionals and legal practitioners.

  9. On Teacher Professional Development: Improving Professional Qualifications and Membership in Professional Teacher Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobkin, V. S.; Adamchuk, D. V.

    2015-01-01

    The article examines issues related to the professional development of teachers. The presented material is structured according to four main themes: teacher self-assessment of their professional competence; their attitude toward traditional forms of training; their participation in events organized by the educational community and associations;…

  10. Embedding argumentation discourse within elementary inquiry teaching: Implications for professional development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borger, Laurie Landon

    The National Research Council's most recent report Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8, (2007) has suggested a redefinition of science proficiency. "This framework rests on a view of science as both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge" (p.2). Therefore embedding argumentation discourse within inquiry teaching includes educating students to voice their own evidence based explanations and justifications for acceptance, refinement, or possible rejection by their peers. This new perspective will require elementary teachers to challenge their own knowledge, beliefs, and practices about science proficiency. It will necessitate the creation of professional development opportunities that are specific to the needs of the teachers who are facilitating the reform during a time period when the NCLB (2001) legislation requires 100% proficiency for all students in reading and math. This intrinsic case study involved the purposive sampling of 30 regular elementary education teachers in one rural school district in Pennsylvania. A grounded theory perspective was used to examine the elementary teachers' beliefs, practices, and barriers as a means to specify the necessary supports needed to accept the challenges associated with the redefinition of science proficiency. Data was collected through a survey, observational inventory, checklist, and interviews. Using constant comparison analysis, this researcher and the district's Science Department Head, identified and refined emerging trends into the following four essential themes: equity and accountability, teacher's beliefs, isolation, and curriculum rigor. Each theme influenced instructional practices. Most notably the implementation of the teacher evaluation plan encouraged teachers to view science as a lower priority and hindered their desire to improve it. Isolation kept teachers' science knowledge and

  11. State-Sponsored Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators: Who Participates and Associated Implications for Future Offerings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber-Mayrer, Melissa M.; Piasta, Shayne B.; Yeager Pelatti, Christina

    2015-01-01

    Professional development (PD) for early childhood educators has received increased attention as a means of bolstering young children's learning and development. Theory and research indicate that educators' characteristics play roles in both their own learning and that of children; however, little research has explored who participates in PD. This…

  12. Development of a Basic Professional Educational Programs for Teacher Training according to Teacher Professional Standart

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akhtarieva R.F.

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available A teaching position involves professional activities in keeping with professional standards, as well as competences and knowledge necessary for it. Development of a basic professional educational program improves teacher training to make it more practice-oriented, so the ability of the future teacher to act according to the professional standard becomes basic educational result. The article describes the features of our basic professional educational program for teaching training, developed according to professional standards and peculiarities of professional activity. The basic professional program consists of modules developed in the light of idea of “eventness” when Incoming or Outcoming Event means the level of ability to professional performance.

  13. A Measure of Professional Identity Development for Professional Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Chin Pei; Van der Molen, H. T.; Schmidt, H. G.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to create a new scale with a validated construct to measure professional identity development in students being prepared to become new practitioners. Using the new survey instrument (named the Professional Identity Five-Factor Scale), data were collected from a polytechnic with students enrolled in a wide range of…

  14. Personal professional development

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Rao, S

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Three workshop sessions on personal professional development were held during the Third IUPAP Women in Physics Conference. These were designed to teach participants about planning for career success, "survival skills," negotiation, and ways...

  15. Continuing professional development and the charity paradigm: interrelated individual, collective and organisational issues about continuing professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munro, Kathleen M

    2008-11-01

    This paper aims to highlight some issues and tensions that currently challenge the profession, individual nurses and their employers when considering the need for continuing professional development. The Nursing and Midwifery Council states the professional requirements for continuing professional development. However the nature and type required seems to be determined by the individual on the one hand and the organisation on the other, rather than an integral part of professional activity within the context of work. This can lead to a mismatch between personal and organisational goals. Views emerged from participants in a previous case study that focused on learning through work, about support available to nurses for professional development. The perceptions of nurses and their managers about learning through work were explored, using semi structured interviews, picture mapping and structured interviews. The 'Charity Paradigm' is presented as an outcome of major issues within an organisation. It underpins negative perceptions of individuals about employer support of continuing professional development. It is suggested that there is a need for collaborative collective approaches to structured development in order to meet both individual and organisational needs. This is also advocated in order to achieve life long learning and transformational learning within an organisation. The tension between individual personal ambitions and employer demands can adversely affect the professional development of the practitioner and the organisation that employs them. The personal perspectives of nurses and managers about learning within their organisation are therefore important to acknowledge in terms of positive and negative influences. It is also necessary to recognise the contribution of the employer as well as the identifiable charitable contribution of individual practitioners and the input from external contributors to the organisation.

  16. A Grounded Theory of Professional Learning in an Authentic Online Professional Development Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teräs, Hanna; Kartoglu, Umit

    2017-01-01

    Online professional development (OPD) programs have become increasingly popular. However, participating in professional development does not always lead to profound professional learning. Previous research endeavours have often focussed on measuring user acceptance or on comparing the effectiveness of OPD with a face-to-face delivery, but there is…

  17. The Use of Mathematical Investigations in a Queensland Primary School and Implications for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshman, Margaret; Clark, Darren; Carey, Michael

    2015-01-01

    With the introduction of Ways of Working in 2008, Queensland teachers received professional development on using investigations to teach mathematics. This case study explores the extent to which teachers in one Queensland Primary School use this pedagogy. To determine teachers' beliefs and teaching approaches, a five point Likert scale…

  18. Teachers' Experience from a School-Based Collaborative Teacher Professional Development Programme: Reported Impact on Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svendsen, Bodil

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to find out how science teachers who have participated in a one-year school-based collaborative teacher professional development programme, perceive the programme's impact on their professional development. Constant comparative analysis was used on data from three schools to generate the findings in this study. The…

  19. The professional development of teacher educators

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lunenberg, Mieke; Willemse, Martijn

    2010-01-01

    Two years ago, at the annual conference of the International Professional Development Association in Belfast, a claim was made by one of us, with a great deal of justification, that there had been very few papers published in the International Professional Development Association journal

  20. The effect of professional partnership on the development of a mutual-help organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salem, Deborah A; Reischl, Thomas M; Randall, Katie W

    2008-09-01

    The effects of partnership between Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA, a mutual-help organization) and the Mental Health Association in Michigan (MHAM, a professionally staffed advocacy organization) on SA's growth and development were explored. Following the initiation of a formal partnership, SA groups were more available throughout the state, more likely to be associated with formal mental health settings, and less likely to have leaders who had been participants in other SA groups. Groups with consumer leaders had significantly greater longevity than groups with professional leaders. Changes in the organizational structure and process of SA were also identified. SA leaders reported that SA moved from a collective to a more bureaucratic structure. As a result, there was greater consistency, administrative capacity, and response capacity. This enhanced capacity came with costs reported by SA leaders. The leadership role of SA members became less defined. SA members expressed concerns about the more hierarchical structure of SA's organization, decreased consumer control, increased professional involvement in SA, and an excessive focus on group development as opposed to group maintenance. Mental Health Association in Michigan staff reported that MHAM was also impacted by the partnership, both with regard to internal functioning and external perception. Implications for effective partnerships between mutual-help and professional organizations are discussed.

  1. Calling line managers in employee continuous professional development in South East Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anubama Ramachandra

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The paper aims to study the relationship of Line Managers’ (LMs Human Resource (HR role and its facets within employee’s Continuous Professional Development (CPD.Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach using 100 questionnaires were distributed to line managers in a South East Asia with a response rate of 87%.Findings: Results depict that LMs are actively involved in Strategic Partner, Employee Champion, and Change Agent roles. Study also shows that these three HR roles correlate with employee CPD. LMs’ are neither involved in Administrative Expert role, nor it correlates with employee Continuous Professional Development.Research limitations: Inability of the line managers to be fully involved with the four HR roles constraints the process of line manager deployment of HR roles specifically to employee CPD.Practical implications: Argues that the importance of strategic partner, employee champion, and change agent roles are the most important barrier and enabler of employee CPD, thus indirectly promoting organizational success and productivity.Social implications: Highlights the difficulties of managing organisations by getting the line managers directly involve in the development of employee CPD. Many line managers have to be made and given opportunities to develop their capabilities on this platform. Contends that HR can help an organization to succeed, provided that all line managers understand their roles, work together and take responsibility for their contribution. In addition is the adoption of the HR roles for the smooth delivery of HR functions which aligns with the overall organizational success.Originality/value: Specific HR roles are significant importance to the development of employee CPD within the setting of this South East Asian organization.

  2. Critical analysis of the implications of new managerialism on ethical, democratic and professional values in public service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose G. Vargas-Hernández

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to critically analyze the implications of the new managerialism in the public service through ethical, democratic and professional values. It assumes the contradictions between the values that seek to promote the public service under the model of managerialism and the reality of its implementation. The method used is analytical-descriptive-normative from the critical perspective of the parallel developments of managerialism and public service. The theoretical and methodological framework that serves as a reference for this critical analysis is provided by the theories of organizational economics and public choice. The discussion concludes that there is a necessary conflict between ethical, democratic and professional values of these new organizational forms promoted by managerialism through the theories of economics and organizational public choice and traditional values of public service.

  3. Grounding our practice in nursing professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickerson, Pamela S

    2014-07-01

    The Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice is foundational to the work of nurses in a continuing professional development role. Use of the practice and professional performance aspects of the standards supports both quality of learning activities and the continuous growth process of nurses engaged in this area of practice. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  4. The Principal as Professional Development Leader

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindstrom, Phyllis H.; Speck, Marsha

    2004-01-01

    Individual teachers have the greatest effect on student performance. Principals, as professional development leaders, are in the best position to provide teachers with the professional development strategies they need to improve skills and raise student achievement. This book guides readers through a step-by-step process to formulate, implement,…

  5. SUMMARY OF MONITORING SYSTEMS PROFESSIONAL READINESS OF STUDENTS TO COMMUNICATIVELY-SPEECH DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOLERS BILINGUAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neonila Vyacheslavovna Ivanova

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The article describes the main provisions of the monitoring system of professional readiness of the future teachers of pre-school education.Methodology. Presented in the paper position monitoring system of professional readiness of students to develop communicative speech bilingual children in the profil «Preschool education» are analized based on the principles: compliance with the general content of the training and disciplinary purposes of vocational training; Unity of its substantive and procedural right; structural integrity of the contents; orientation of its content for the implementation of the system, the personal, the activity, polysubject (Dialogic, cultural approaches.Results. We studid and summarized some of the theoretical and practical aspects, given the scientific substantiation of organizational methods of monitoring of professional readiness of the future teachers to the communicative and language development of preschool children bilingual.Practical implications. Еducational system of higher education.

  6. Professional Development in Technology at High Achieving Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Kevin D.

    2017-01-01

    This study analyzed educators' perception of professional development offered through schools in the area of technology implementation and tried to define its perceived effectiveness in meeting the professional development conceptual framework defined by Gardner, Baker, Vogt, and Hodel in "Four Approaches to Professional Development".…

  7. Science teachers' meaning-making when involved in a school-based professional development project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

    2012-01-01

    A group of teachers’ meaning-making when they are collaboratively analyzing artifacts from practice in local science classrooms in a school-based professional development (PD) project is examined through repeated interviews and represented as meaning-making maps. The interpretation of the teachers......’ meaningmaking includes both their reference to outcomes from the project and their expressed ideas about teaching and learning of science. All four teachers refer to experiences from experimenting in their classrooms and interpret the collected artifacts in relation to students’ learning. Furthermore, they all...... felt encouraged to continue collaboration around science. During the interviews, the teachers emphasize various elements apparently connected to concrete challenges they each experience in their professional work. Implications in relation to the design of PD are discussed....

  8. Science teachers' meaning-making when involved in a school-based professional development project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

    2012-01-01

    A group of teachers' meaning-making when they are collaboratively analyzing artifacts from practice in local science classrooms in a school-based professional development (PD) project is examined through repeated interviews and represented as meaning-makig maps. The interpretation of the teachers......' meaning-making includes both their reference to outcomes from the project and their expressed ideas about teaching and learning of science. All four teachers refer to experiences from experimenting in their classrooms and interpret the collected artifacts in relation to students' learning. Furthermore......, they all felt encouraged to continue collaboration around science. During the interviews, the teachers emphasize various elements apparently connected to concrete challenges they each experience in their professional work. Implications in relation to the design of PD are discussed....

  9. Teacher Professionalism on the Developing Children Creativier Professionalism on the Developing Children Creativity (Sociology of Education PerspectiveProfessionalism on the Developing Children Creativity (Sociology of Education Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ummi Nurul Muslimah

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This research is to study the concept of teachers’ professionalism and children creativity also the relation in sociology of educational perspective. This is a library research with a descriptive method. The writer collected the data from the writing sources published about some problems of teacher’s professionalism on the developing children creativity. Then, analyzing the thinking of every ideology and philosophy described clearly and completely, so the similarity and differences can be treated clearly by using the description of teacher professionalism on developing children creativity. The findings of this study showed that the relation between teacher professionalism and developing children creativity in sociology of education is every educator have an important role in children education, although in teaching learning process or in out class, educators have always supported and challenged abilities of the gift, talent and creativity. The reason is because the children are more often spend much time with teacher, so the teacher more to know and more responsible to their children.

  10. Learning, Motivation, and Transfer: Successful Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Lex

    2012-01-01

    In this article, I am concerned with three key issues of teacher professional development--teacher learning, motivation, and transfer of learning. Each issue has received minimal attention in teacher professional development literature. The three issues are discussed, and a model of an integrative professional development approach is outlined,…

  11. Patient competence and professional incompetence: disagreements in capacity assessments in one Australian jurisdiction, and their educational implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Malcolm

    2008-08-01

    The determination of capacity to make medical, personal and financial decisions has significant individual and social implications. Medical and other health professionals are traditionally relied on by courts and tribunals to provide clinical and psychometric evidence of the presence or absence of capacity, or competence. Concern has long been expressed over the variability of these assessments. A survey of 285 decisions of the Queensland Guardianship and Assessment Tribunal (GAAT) between 2005 and 2008 was conducted to estimate the incidence of disagreement between health professionals in capacity assessments; to provide examples of conflicting assessments and models of assessment used; and to consider the educational implications of disagreements. While the final capacity determinations by the GAAT appear sound, this case series, and other studies in the capacity literature, strongly suggest the need to improve the education of health professionals, especially doctors, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in the practical assessment of capacity as a fundamental clinical skill.

  12. Iranian Physicians' Perspectives Regarding Nurse-Physician Professional Communication: Implications for Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esmaeilpour-Bandboni, Mohammad; Vaismoradi, Mojtaba; Salsali, Mahvash; Snelgrove, Sherrill; Sheldon, Lisa Kennedy

    2017-08-01

    Nurse-physician professional communication affects the effectiveness and performance of the health care team and the quality of care delivered to the patient. This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of physicians on nurse-physician professional communication in an urban area of Iran. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 physicians selected using a purposive sampling method. Physicians from different medical specialties were chosen from 4 teaching hospitals in an urban area of Iran. The data were analyzed with content analysis and themes developed. Three themes developed during data analysis: "seeking the formal methods of communication to ensure patient care," "nurses' professional attributes for professional communication," and "patients' health conditions as the mediators of professional communication." Nurses need to be informed of the perspectives and experiences of physicians on professional communication. Our findings can improve nurses' understandings of professional communication that could inform the development of educational and training programs for nurses and physicians. There is a need to incorporate communication courses during degree education and design interprofessional training regarding communication in clinical settings to improve teamwork and patient care. Open discussions between nurses and physicians, training sessions about how to improve their knowledge about barriers to and facilitators of effective professional communication, and key terms and phrases commonly used in patient care are suggested.

  13. Professional Development of Novice Special Education Teachers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silmara de Oliveira Gomes Papi

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The professional development of novice teachers in the profession and in special education is poorly understood, despite its relevance to the improvement of teaching. This study analyzes the challenges faced by such teachers with a view to understanding their professional development. The participants in the research were teachers of classrooms equipped with multifunctional resources (SRM in state schools. The research follows a critical-dialectic approach and a qualitative focus. The results indicate deficiencies in the professional development of novices, who experience difficulties related to teaching and bureaucracy, despite having specific training in the area. They also feel alienated in the schools and seek alternatives to fill existing gaps related to their professional practice.

  14. Distance learning: the future of continuing professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Southernwood, Julie

    2008-10-01

    The recent development of a market economy in higher education has resulted in the need to tailor the product to the customers, namely students, employers and commissioning bodies. Distance learning is an opportunity for nurse educators and institutions to address marketing initiatives and develop a learning environment in order to enhance continuing professional development. It provides options for lifelong learning for healthcare professionals--including those working in community settings--that is effective and cost efficient. Development of continuing professional development programmes can contribute to widening the participation of community practitioners in lifelong learning, practice and role development. This paper considers the opportunities that web-based and online education programmes can provide community practitioners to promote professional skills while maintaining a work-life balance, and the role of the lecturer in successfully supporting professionals on web-based learning programmes.

  15. A cognitive framework to inform the design of professional development supporting teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matese, Gabrielle

    Inquiry-based science places new demands on teachers for assessing students' growth, both of deep conceptual understanding as well as developing inquiry skills. In addition, new ideas about classroom assessment, such as the importance of formative assessment, are gaining currency. While we have ideas about what classroom assessment consistent with inquiry-based pedagogy might look like, and why it is necessary, we have little understanding of what it takes to implement it. That teachers face a challenge in doing so is well-documented. Researchers have noted that teachers attempting changes in classroom assessment often bring with them incompatible beliefs, knowledge, and practices. However, noting general incompatibility is insufficient to support addressing these issues through professional development. In response to this need, I initiated a research project to identify and describe in more detail the categories of beliefs, knowledge and skills that play an important role in inquiry-based science assessment practices. I created an assessment framework outlining specific categories of beliefs, knowledge, and skills affecting particular classroom assessment practices. I then used the framework to examine teachers' classroom assessment practices and to create comparative cases between three middle-school science teachers, highlighting how the different cognitive factors affect four particular assessment practices. The comparative cases demonstrate the framework's utility for analyzing and explicating teacher assessment practices. As a tool for analyzing and understanding teacher practice, the framework supports the design of professional development. To demonstrate the value of the framework, I draw on the comparative cases to identify implications for the design of professional development to support teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science. In this dissertation I provide a brief overview of the framework and its rationale, present an example of the

  16. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of the nuclear and radiation professional engineers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasaki, Satoru

    2016-01-01

    Professional Engineer is the national qualification stipulated by the Professional Engineer Act. A Professional Engineer in this Act means a person who conducts business on matters of planning, research, design, analysis, testing, evaluation or guidance thereof, which requires application of extensive scientific and technical expertise, and has three obligation and two responsibility related to engineer ethic. A technical discipline for nuclear and radiation technology in 2004, was established for the purpose of upgrading the skills of engineers in nuclear technology fields, utilizing their ability in nuclear safety regulation fields, and further strengthening safety management system in each entity. The activity of the nuclear and radiation professional engineers for the past 10 years was evaluated. For the next ten years, awareness of the role of the professional engineer to talk with general public is needed, and it is important to continue professional development. (author)

  17. Climate Change Professional Development: Design, Implementation, and Initial Outcomes on Teacher Learning, Practice, and Student Beliefs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shea, Nicole A.; Mouza, Chrystalla; Drewes, Andrea

    2016-04-01

    In this work, we present the design, implementation, and initial outcomes of the Climate Academy, a hybrid professional development program delivered through a combination of face-to-face and online interactions, intended to prepare formal and informal science teachers (grades 5-16) in teaching about climate change. The Climate Academy was designed around core elements of successful environmental professional development programs and aligned with practices advocated in benchmarked science standards. Data were collected from multiple sources including observations of professional development events, participants' reflections on their learning, and collection of instructional units designed during the Academy. Data were also collected from a focal case study teacher in a middle school setting. Case study data included classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student beliefs toward climate change. Results indicated that the Climate Academy fostered increased learning among participants of both climate science content and pedagogical strategies for teaching about climate change. Additionally, results indicated that participants applied their new learning in the design of climate change instructional units. Finally, results from the case study indicated positive impacts on student beliefs and greater awareness about climate change. Results have implications for the design of professional development programs on climate change, a topic included for the first time in national standards.

  18. Developing a Physician׳s Professional Identity Through Medical Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olive, Kenneth E; Abercrombie, Caroline L

    2017-02-01

    Professionalism represents a fundamental characteristic of physicians. Professional organizations have developed professionalism competencies for physicians and medical students. The aim of teaching medical professionalism is to ensure the development of a professional identity in medical students. Professional identity formation is a process developed through teaching principles and appropriate behavioral responses to the stresses of being a physician. Addressing lapses and critical reflection is an important part of the educational process. The "hidden curriculum" within an institution plays an important role in professional identity formation. Assessment of professionalism involves multiple mechanisms. Steps in remediating professionalism lapses include (1) initial assessment, (2) diagnosis of problems and development of an individualized learning plan, (3) instruction encompassing practice, feedback and reflection and (4) reassessment and certification of competence. No reliable outcomes data exist regarding the effectiveness of different remediation strategies. Copyright © 2017 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Teacher Professional Development Strategies in Australian Government and Professional Associations Documents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kostina, Ludmyla

    2015-01-01

    Teacher in Australia is determined as an active participant of professional community with high level of collaboration, professional development coherent activities and collaborative learning practice. Thus, teacher quality is one of critical factors affecting student outcomes. The article touches upon the issue of the potential to improve…

  20. System approach to development of professional competence of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article examines the issue of developing the professional competence of students and managers with the use of acme logical technologies. The influence of acme logical technologies, which are used in professional-oriented creative projects, is regarded, considering its effect on the development of professional ...

  1. Career advancement and professional development in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adeniran, Rita K; Smith-Glasgow, Mary Ellen; Bhattacharya, Anand; Xu, Yu

    2013-01-01

    Excellence underscores the need for nurses to keep their skills and competencies current through participation in professional development and career advancement. Evidence suggests that internationally educated nurses (IENs) progress relatively slowly through the career ladder and participate less in professional development compared with nurses educated in the United States (UENs). Mentorship and self-efficacy are considered major determinants of career advancement. The aim of the study was to understand the differences in levels of mentorship function and self-efficacy as well as the differences in participation in professional development and career advancement between UENs and IENs. A descriptive survey design was implemented using a Web-based survey. Significant disparities were noted in the role model function of mentoring and some professional development and career advancement measures between UENs and IENs. Mentorship is essential for professional growth. Sociodemographic characteristics of mentors are important because mentors are role models. Standardized career advancement structures are needed to promote professional growth. Published by Mosby, Inc.

  2. Professional development as learning in relationships

    OpenAIRE

    Noworolnik-Mastalska, Monika

    2013-01-01

    The article presents a clasification of selected leading conceptions within professional development, using socio-cultural perspective of learning in different relationships. Beside drawing on the classical social theory of learning through interactions with others, another dimensions of learning are added: related to the self, personal dimension of learning through professional identity development and societal dimension, where learning results from the ability to respond comprehensively to ...

  3. Developing an occupational skills profile for the emerging profession of "big-data-enabled professional"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kastens, K. A.; Malyn-Smith, J.; Ippolito, J.; Krumhansl, R.

    2014-12-01

    In August of 2014, the Oceans of Data Institute at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is convening an expert panel to begin the process of developing an occupational skills profile for the "big-data-enabled professional." We define such a professional as an "individual who works with large complex data sets on a regular basis, asking and answering questions, analyzing trends, and finding meaningful patterns, in order to increase the efficiency of processes, make decisions and predictions, solve problems, generate hypotheses, and/or develop new understandings." The expert panel includes several geophysicists, as well as data professionals from engineering, higher education, analytical journalism, forensics, bioinformatics, and telecommunications. Working with experienced facilitators, the expert panel will create a detailed synopsis of the tasks and responsibilities characteristic of their profession, as well as the skills, knowledge and behaviors that enable them to succeed in the workplace. After the panel finishes their work, the task matrix and associated narrative will be vetted and validated by a larger group of additional professionals, and then disseminated for use by educators and employers. The process we are using is called DACUM (Developing a Curriculum), adapted by EDC and optimized for emergent professions, such as the "big-data-enabled professional." DACUM is a well-established method for analyzing jobs and occupations, commonly used in technical fields to develop curriculum and training programs that reflect authentic work tasks found in scientific and technical workplaces. The premises behind the DACUM approach are that: expert workers are better able to describe their own occupation than anyone else; any job can be described in terms of the tasks that successful workers in the occupation perform; all tasks have direct implications for the knowledge, skills, understandings and attitudes that must be taught and learned in preparation for the

  4. Instructional Technology Professional Development Evaluation: Developing a High Quality Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaytan, Jorge A.; McEwen, Beryl C.

    2010-01-01

    Background: The literature contains very few studies that focused on evaluating the impact of professional development activities on student learning. And, many of these studies failed to determine whether the professional development activities met their primary goal--to improve the learning process. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use…

  5. Development of the Professional Self-Care Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorociak, Katherine E; Rupert, Patricia A; Bryant, Fred B; Zahniser, Evan

    2017-04-01

    In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on the importance of self-care for psychologists and other mental health professionals. With the growth of positive psychology and preventive medicine, self-care is an emerging topic, promulgated as a means of avoiding the adverse effects of stress and promoting professional functioning and well-being. However, the research on self-care is limited because of the lack of an empirically based, psychometrically sound measure of this construct. Thus, the purpose of this project was to develop a measure of professional self-care. Professional psychologists were the focus of study, with the goal being to develop a measure that can be used in this population and similar groups of professionals. Based on expert feedback and a preliminary study of 422 licensed psychologists in Illinois, a 5-factor, 21-item scale was created. Factor analysis identified the following self-care factors: Professional Support, Professional Development, Life Balance, Cognitive Awareness, and Daily Balance. Preliminary analyses provided initial support for the validity of the 5 factors. A follow-up study was conducted with a second sample of clinical psychologists. The 5-factor structure provided a good fit to the data with the second sample. Thus, based on factor analysis and validity data, a 5-factor, 21-item Professional Self-Care Scale was established for further study and use in future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. Use of Social Media for Professional Development by Health Care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Background Social media can be used in health care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the use of social media networks for the purpose of professional development among health care professionals in Saudi Arabia using a purpose-designed Web-based survey. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was undertaken. A link to the survey was posted on the investigator’s personal social media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. Results A total of 231 health care professionals, who are generally social media users, participated in the study. Of these professionals, 70.6% (163/231) use social media for their professional development. The social media applications most frequently used, in the descending order, for professional development were Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The majority of respondents used social media for professional development irrespective of their age group, with the highest proportion seen in those aged 20-30 years. Social media were perceived as being most beneficial for professional development in terms of their impact on the domains of knowledge and problem solving and least helpful for enhancing clinical skills. Twitter was perceived as the most helpful type of social media for all domains listed. Respondents most frequently reported that social media were useful for professional development for the reasons of knowledge exchange and networking. Conclusions Social media are frequently used by health care professionals in Saudi Arabia for the purposes of professional development, with Twitter most frequently used for this purpose. These findings suggest that social media networks can be powerful tools for engaging health care professionals in their professional development. PMID:27731855

  7. Use of Social Media for Professional Development by Health Care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsobayel, Hana

    2016-09-12

    Social media can be used in health care settings to enhance professional networking and education; patient communication, care, and education; public health programs; organizational promotion; and research. The aim of this study was to explore the use of social media networks for the purpose of professional development among health care professionals in Saudi Arabia using a purpose-designed Web-based survey. A cross-sectional web-based survey was undertaken. A link to the survey was posted on the investigator's personal social media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. A total of 231 health care professionals, who are generally social media users, participated in the study. Of these professionals, 70.6% (163/231) use social media for their professional development. The social media applications most frequently used, in the descending order, for professional development were Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The majority of respondents used social media for professional development irrespective of their age group, with the highest proportion seen in those aged 20-30 years. Social media were perceived as being most beneficial for professional development in terms of their impact on the domains of knowledge and problem solving and least helpful for enhancing clinical skills. Twitter was perceived as the most helpful type of social media for all domains listed. Respondents most frequently reported that social media were useful for professional development for the reasons of knowledge exchange and networking. Social media are frequently used by health care professionals in Saudi Arabia for the purposes of professional development, with Twitter most frequently used for this purpose. These findings suggest that social media networks can be powerful tools for engaging health care professionals in their professional development.

  8. Faculty Professional Development for Quality Online Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexiou-Ray, Jennifer; Bentley, Courtney C.

    2015-01-01

    Meaningful technology use in education continues to improve given an increase in access to available technologies and professional development. For educators, professional development has focused on approaches for technology use that foster content-specific best practices and improve student learning in traditional classroom formats. Meaningful…

  9. Design and Implementation of a Professional Development Course Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welch, Beth; Spooner, Joshua J; Tanzer, Kim; Dintzner, Matthew R

    2017-12-01

    Objective. To design and implement a longitudinal course series focused on professional development and professional identity formation in pharmacy students at Western New England University. Methods. A four-year, theme-based course series was designed to sequentially and longitudinally impart the values, attributes, and characteristics of a professional pharmacist. Requirements of the course include: goal planning and reflective assignments, submission of "Best Works," attendance at professional meetings, completion of service hours, annual completion of a Pharmacy Professionalism Instrument, attendance at Dean's Seminar, participation in roundtable discussions, and maintenance of an electronic portfolio. Though the Professional Development course series carries no credit, these courses are progression requirements and students are assessed on a pass/fail basis. Results. Course pass rates in the 2015-2016 academic year for all four classes were 99% to 100%, suggesting the majority of students take professional development seriously and are achieving the intended outcomes of the courses. Conclusion. A professional development course series was designed and implemented in the new Doctor of Pharmacy program at Western New England University to enhance the professional identity formation of students.

  10. Toward Understanding Business Student Professional Development Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blau, Gary; Blessley, Misty; Kunkle, Matthew; Schirmer, Michael; Regan, Laureen

    2017-01-01

    Professional development engagement (PDE) is defined as the level of perceived undergraduate engagement in professional development activities. An 11-item measure of PDE exhibited a good reliability. Using a complete data sample of 467 graduating business undergraduates, four variable sets (student background or precollege variables,…

  11. #Digitalfaith: Using Social Media for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manson, Sable A.; Cordovés, Janett I.

    2018-01-01

    There is a need to identify and create spaces for professionals in higher education to engage religion, secularism, and spirituality in meaningful ways. #DigitalFaith resources are the digital platforms and communities supporting religious, secular, and spiritual development, and they offer potential avenues for professional development. This…

  12. Measuring the Quality of Professional Development Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaumer Erickson, Amy S.; Noonan, Patricia M.; Brussow, Jennifer; Supon Carter, Kayla

    2017-01-01

    High-quality, evidence-based professional development is essential to ensure that teachers obtain the knowledge, strategies and skills necessary to positively impact student learning. While the primary form of professional development, training has rarely been evaluated for quality beyond the satisfaction of those being trained. The Observation…

  13. Professional "Development" and Professional "Learning": Bridging the Gap for Experienced Physical Education Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armour, Kathleen M.; Yelling, Martin

    2004-01-01

    This article analyses the career-long continuing professional development (CPD) of 85 experienced physical education (PE) teachers in England. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews (20 teachers) and open-ended profile questionnaires (a further 65 teachers) to find out what forms of professional development these teachers had…

  14. Teachers Know Best: Teachers' Views on Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2014

    2014-01-01

    To gain insights into the roadblocks to implementing effective professional development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contracted with the Boston Consulting Group in 2014 to reach more than 1,300 teachers, professional development leaders in district and state education agencies, principals, professional development providers, and…

  15. Energy provision and housing development: Re-thinking professional and technological relations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaw, Isabel; Ozaki, Ritsuko

    2013-01-01

    This paper questions policy's approach to the implementation of sustainable technologies as part of the UK environmental policy (Code for Sustainable Homes—‘the Code’). Current policy adopts a market-based model promoting rational choice and technological determinism as a solution to the environmental challenges of carbon emissions and energy reduction. We argue that this approach externalises professional actors' situated practices by singling out isolated factors impeding policy's rationale of implementing the Code (e.g. cost). Drawing on our empirical study we identify diverse practices that transpire from professional-technology interactions, demonstrating how sustainable technologies and professional practices are mutually shaped. The important implication of our study is that these ‘black-boxed’ interactions directly impact on how energy is provided, with consequences for future energy consumption. - Highlights: • Current policy externalises professional–technological interactions. • Professional practises and sustainable technologies are mutually shaped. • How energy is provided affects future energy consumption. • Changes to professional practices influence energy provision

  16. Occupational therapy, professional development and ethics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dige, Morten

    2009-01-01

    The article's aim is to reflect on and contribute to developing occupational therapy as a profession. I propose an ethical interpretation of health and helping professions in general and occupational therapy in particular. According to this ethical interpretation, the essential function and mission...... principles and guidelines; it contributes to building up and preserving a shared professional identity; it puts emphasis on a client-centred perspective on professional work; and it provides a constructive framework for inter-professional co-operation....

  17. Application of a contextual instructional framework in a continuing professional development training program for physiotherapists in Rwanda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunleavy, Kim; Chevan, Julia; Sander, Antoinette P; Gasherebuka, Jean Damascene; Mann, Monika

    2018-06-01

    Continuing professional development is an important component of capacity building in low resource countries. The purpose of this case study is to describe the use of a contextual instructional framework to guide the processes and instructional design choices for a series of continuing professional development courses for physiotherapists in Rwanda. Four phases of the project are described: (1) program proposal, needs assessment and planning, (2) organization of the program and instructional design, (3) instructional delivery and (4) evaluation. Contextual facilitating factors and needs informed choices in each phase. The model resulted in delivery of continuing professional development to the majority of physiotherapists in Rwanda (n = 168, 0.48 rural/0.52 urban) with participants reporting improvement in skills and perceived benefit for their patients. Environmental and healthcare system factors resulted in offering the courses in rural and urban areas. Content was developed and delivered in partnership with Rwandan coinstructors. Based on the domestic needs identified in early courses, the program included advocacy and leadership activities, in addition to practical and clinical instruction. The contextual factors (environment, healthcare service organization, need for rehabilitation and status and history of the physiotherapy profession) were essential for project and instructional choices. Facilitating factors included the established professional degree and association, continuing professional development requirements, a core group of active professionals and an existing foundation from other projects. The processes and contextual considerations may be useful in countries with established professional-level education but without established postentry-level training. Implications for Rehabilitation Organizations planning continuing professional development programs may benefit from considering the context surrounding training when planning, designing and

  18. Professional knowledge and interprofessional practice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milburn, Peter C.; Colyer, Hazel

    2008-01-01

    Interprofessional education (IPE) is well-established in the professional discipline of radiography and other health and social care professions, driven by central government policies promoting interprofessional, collaborative working. The development of an appropriate knowledge base for interprofessional work is therefore important and, as a starting point, the article investigates the concept and significance of professional knowledge as a means to unravel and shed light on the potential emergence of a new body of knowledge, 'interprofessional knowledge'. The paper discusses whether the term 'interprofessional knowledge' (IPK) is meaningful and its utility for interprofessional practice, arguing that such knowledge is located within the discourse of interprofessional learning and practice. As such it is fluid and contextualised. The implications of this for all health and social care professionals, including radiographers, are elaborated to assist in future curriculum development and enhance understanding of the knowledge that underpins effective, collaborative, interprofessional practice. The paper concludes by suggesting there are a number of key implications for professional practice namely, IPE cannot teach interprofessional knowledge, rather it should facilitate interprofessional practice, through which such knowledge is construed, and person-centred care can be more effectively achieved. Second, interprofessional practice is highly contextualised by practice setting and point of service delivery. Any attempt to decontextualise it for the purpose of curriculum development would be illogical; interprofessional knowledge is in a symbiotic relationship with its prior professional knowledge. Third, the organisation of IPE would be better driven by alliances of complementary professions in order to maximise its potential effectiveness and credibility with practitioners

  19. Transformation and Framework of Teacher Professional Development in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Bo-Ruey

    2016-01-01

    This article describes the situation of teacher professional development in Taiwan, including the history and the framework of teacher professional development. With diversification of teacher education systems and institutions, teacher professional development in Taiwan is undergoing a gradual governance shift from the model of centralised state…

  20. From youth worker professional development to organizational change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rana, Sheetal; Baumgardner, Briana; Germanic, Ofir; Graff, Randy; Korum, Kathy; Mueller, Megan; Randall, Steve; Simmons, Tim; Stokes, Gina; Xiong, Will; Peterson, Karen Kolb

    2013-01-01

    An ongoing, innovative youth worker professional development is described in this article. This initiative began as youth worker professional development and then transcended to personal and organizational development. It grew from a moral response of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation staff and two faculty members of Youth Studies, University of Minnesota to offer higher-quality services to youth for their healthy development. Its underlying philosophies and ethos included building and sustaining meaningful relationships, cocreating a space for learning and change, becoming a reflecting practitioner, and community organizing. This professional development responded to the participants' interests and needs or to local situations in that moment, that space, and the discussions, and took on different shapes at different times. There were many accomplishments of, challenges and barriers to, and lessons learned from this professional development. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  1. ICT FOR TEACHER'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    OpenAIRE

    Nina P. Dementievska; Nataliia V. Morze

    2010-01-01

    The article focuses on pedagogy and psychological issues connected to high order thinking skills development in process of PBL (Project Based Learning) with using ICT (Information Communication Technology). Based on materials of teacher's professional development training course.

  2. The Makerspace Experience and Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paganelli, Andrea; Cribbs, Jennifer D.; Huang, Xiaoxia; Pereira, Nielsen; Huss, Jeanine; Chandler, Wanda; Paganelli, Anthony

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the use of makerspaces as a professional development activity when examined through the analysis of qualitative data reflecting participant experience. The data were gathered in the course of a professional development opportunity at a university during a conference held on campus. The researchers wanted to select an innovative…

  3. Professional Development: Focusing on Transition. Issue Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Azúa, Ramón L.; Keleher, Julia

    2017-01-01

    In 2017, the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth (NDTAC) released its first in a series of professional development briefs that focus on the professional development needs and interests of Neglected or Delinquent (N or D) State coordinators, correctional educators, and providers of…

  4. The Investigation of Teachers' Metaphoric Perceptions about Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurtseven, Nihal

    2017-01-01

    Professional development is an ongoing process in which teachers review their teaching practices and learn how to respond to their students' needs. To make the professional development process more effective, we need to define the identity of a teacher correctly and clarify the perspective about teachers' professional development. The purpose of…

  5. Continuous Professional Development of English Language Teachers: Perception and Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Asmari, AbdulRahman

    2016-01-01

    Professional development is considered as an essential element in enhancing the teaching and learning process to ensure student learning. Professional development can also be deemed as a cornerstone of teacher professionalism and quality. The governments and educational institutions invest significantly in Continuous Professional Development (CPD)…

  6. The Development of Competent Marketing Professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Ian; Tsarenko, Yelena; Wagstaff, Peter; Powell, Irene; Steel, Marion; Brace-Govan, Jan

    2009-01-01

    The process of transition from university undergraduate to business professional is a crucial stage in the development of a business career. This study examines both graduate and employer perspectives on the essential skills and knowledge needed by marketing professionals to successfully perform their roles. From in-depth interviews with 14…

  7. Assessing the interactivity and prescriptiveness of faculty professional development workshops: The real-time professional development observation tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olmstead, Alice; Turpen, Chandra

    2016-12-01

    Professional development workshops are one of the primary mechanisms used to help faculty improve their teaching, and draw in many STEM instructors every year. Although workshops serve a critical role in changing instructional practices within our community, we rarely assess workshops through careful consideration of how they engage faculty. Initial evidence suggests that workshop leaders often overlook central tenets of education research that are well established in classroom contexts, such as the role of interactivity in enabling student learning [S. Freeman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111, 8410 (2014)]. As such, there is a need to develop more robust, evidence-based models of how best to support faculty learning in professional development contexts, and to actively support workshop leaders in relating their design decisions to familiar ideas from other educational contexts. In response to these needs, we have developed an observation tool, the real-time professional development observation tool (R-PDOT), to document the form and focus of faculty engagement during workshops. In this paper, we describe the motivation and methodological considerations behind the development of the R-PDOT, justify our decisions to highlight particular aspects of workshop sessions, and demonstrate how the R-PDOT can be used to analyze three sessions from the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop. We also justify the accessibility and potential utility of the R-PDOT output as a reflective tool using preliminary data from interviews with workshop leaders, and consider the roles the R-PDOT could play in supporting future research on faculty professional development.

  8. Professional development themes in strength and conditioning coaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tod, David A; Bond, Kath A; Lavallee, David

    2012-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore professional development themes in experienced strength and conditioning coaches. Strength and conditioning coaches (N = 15, mean age = 34.3 years, SD = 5.2 years) with 11.4 (SD = 4.9) years experience working with elite, professional, or talented athletes were interviewed about their professional development. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analyzed. Over time, subjects' service-delivery practices became more flexible and client driven. Their role understanding also broadened to include various dimensions, such as the need to consider various stakeholders and the value of good relationships with athletes. The subjects shifted from relying on external justification for professional decision making to their experience-based knowledge. The subjects believed athlete work experience, interactions with senior strength and conditioning coaches and other colleagues, the professional literature, and nonprofessional experiences, such as their own athletic experience and sales or managerial training, were the primary influences on their professional development. Typically, the subjects experienced anxiety about their competence, both early in their careers and when working in new contexts or with new athlete groups, but over time, they developed increased confidence. In addition, the subjects experienced reduced narcissism over time about the control they had over athletes and their competitive results. The current results provide information about the characteristics of effective strength and conditioning coaches, the ways they develop their competencies to help athletes, and the emotions they experience throughout their careers. These results may help strength and conditioning practitioners in planning and optimizing their professional development and effectiveness with athletes.

  9. The importance of making progress in teacher professional development

    OpenAIRE

    Stamatović, Jelena; Kundačina, Milenko

    2014-01-01

    Professional development of teachers depends on many conditions, but the most distinguished ones are teachers' motivation and their opportunities for development and advancement. Quality planning of professional teacher development contributes to better development of school and teachers. This paper presents research that is aimed to acquire knowledge on important issues related to the promotion of teachers in professional development. The study sample consisted of 786 primary and secondary s...

  10. Teacher change and professional development: A case study of teachers engaged in an innovative constructivist science curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akura, Okong'o. Gabriel

    This study examined both the changes that elementary school teachers experienced when they implemented a reform-based science curriculum and the impact of professional development on this transformation. The research involved a case study of three purposefully selected teachers implementing the Linking Food and the Environment (LIFE) program during the 2002--2003 school year. The LIFE program is a curriculum designed to enhance science literacy among learners from high poverty urban environments. While the study was grounded in the tradition of critical theory (Carspecken, 1996), the theoretical perspective of hermeneutic phenomenology (van Manen, 1990) guided data collection and analysis. Extensive observations of the teachers were made in order to capture and record the teacher change phenomenon. Data were recorded by means of field notes, audio and videotapes, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and video Stimulated Recall (SR) interviews. Emerging themes relating to teacher change, knowledge interests, constructivist pedagogy, and professional development illustrated how teachers grapple with various aspects of implementing a reform-based science curriculum. The teachers in this study were similar to those in earlier investigations, which found that sustained professional development programs involving mentoring and constant reflection enable elementary science teachers to change their instructional strategies from the technical-realist orientation towards the practical-hermeneutic and emancipatory-liberatory orientations. The study has implications for science curriculum developers and designers of professional development programs.

  11. Factors Driving Learner Success in Online Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phu Vu

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available This study examined factors that contributed to the success of online learners in an online professional development course. Research instruments included an online survey and learners’ activity logs in an online professional development course for 512 in-service teachers. The findings showed that there were several factors affecting online learners’ success in online professional development. In addition, there were also significant differences between successful and unsuccessful online learners in terms of course login frequency and learning activities viewed.

  12. Classroom Research and Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omaira Vergara Luján

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available This article intends to share the experience of a group of teachers in the Classroom Research Seminar of the Teacher Development Program in English carried out at Universidad del Valle, Cali, from January to June, 2007. The seminar was part of a high-level in-service program for teachers of English of a network of private educational institutions. We would like to share the highlights and difficulties of the experience. We will start with the general framework of the program and the concept of professional development that underlies it. Next we will focus on the classroom research seminar, its objectives, methodology and results. Finally we share the voices of some of the participants, who talk about the influence this seminar had on their professional development and daily work.

  13. Using the Repertory Grid Technique to Examine Trainee Clinical Psychologists' Construal of Their Personal and Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Katy; Wittkowski, Anja; Hodgkinson, Emma; Bell, Richard; Hare, Dougal J

    2016-09-01

    The repertory grid technique was used to explore how 26 third-year trainee clinical psychologists construed their personal and professional selves over the course of training and into the future. Each trainee completed a demographic questionnaire and a repertory grid with 10 elements: four 'personal self' elements, four 'professional self' elements and two 'qualified clinical psychologist' elements. They then rated the 10 elements on 10 bipolar constructs of their choosing. Trainees' personal and professional selves were construed to be similar to each other. Trainees had low self-esteem and reported currently feeling anxious, stressed, unsettled and lacking an appropriate work-life balance. These difficulties were attributed to the demands of training and were expected to resolve once training was completed with future selves being construed as similar to ideal selves. Suggestions for future research with improved methodology are made, and the implications of the findings for trainees, training providers and employers of newly qualified clinical psychologists are given. The overall implication being that stress in training is normative and the profession has a duty to normalize this and ensure that self-care and personal development are recognized as core competencies of the clinical psychologist for the benefit of its members and their clients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Clinical psychology trainees experience training as demanding and stressful, which negatively impacts on their personal and professional self-image and self-esteem. However, they are optimistic that they will become more like their ideal self in the future. Stress in clinical training (and beyond) is normative, and thus, personal development and self-care should be recognized as clinical psychologist's core competencies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Certified Health Education Specialists' Participation in Professional Associations: Implications for Marketing and Membership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thackeray, Rosemary; Neiger, Brad L.; Roe, Kathleen M.

    2005-01-01

    A number of health education professional associations exist to advance the profession through research, practice, and professional development. Benefits of individual membership may include continuing education, networking, leadership, professional recognition, advocacy, professional mobility, access to research findings, advances in the…

  15. LIFE-LONG EDUCATION AS A RESOURCE TO OVERCOME THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS IN THE PROCESS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elvira E. Symanyuk

    2015-01-01

    approaches; it is one of the principle forms of human social activities that provide an opportunity for constructive designing of successful professional individual trajectory of the human development. Practical significance. The research implications and results of the study can be used as the teaching and learning packages while the process of training and retraining, the professional development of corporate staff, and training on career planning. 

  16. A case study of continuing teacher professional development ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We consider the professional development of in-service teachers and review traditional development efforts that have been used in the past. An alternative form of professional development using Japanese lesson study is proposed and discussed as a possibility. A case study involving the Mpumalanga Secondary Science ...

  17. Professional development design considerations in climate change education: teacher enactment and student learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drewes, Andrea; Henderson, Joseph; Mouza, Chrystalla

    2018-01-01

    Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing society, and climate change educational models are emerging in response. This study investigates the implementation and enactment of a climate change professional development (PD) model for science educators and its impact on student learning. Using an intrinsic case study methodology, we focused analytic attention on how one teacher made particular pedagogical and content decisions, and the implications for student's conceptual learning. Using anthropological theories of conceptual travel, we traced salient ideas through instructional delivery and into student reasoning. Analysis showed that students gained an increased understanding of the enhanced greenhouse effect and the implications of human activity on this enhanced effect at statistically significant levels and with moderate effect sizes. However, students demonstrated a limited, though non-significant gain on the likely effects of climate change. Student reasoning on the tangible actions to deal with these problems also remained underdeveloped, reflecting omissions in both PD and teacher enactment. We discuss implications for the emerging field of climate change education.

  18. Professional development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Jin Hee; Hartline, Beverly Karplus; Milner-Bolotin, Marina

    2013-03-01

    The three sessions of the professional development workshop series were each designed for a different audience. The purpose of the first session was to help mid-career physicists aspire for and achieve leadership roles. The second session brought together students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career physicists to help them plan their career goals and navigate the steps important to launching a successful career. The final session sought to increase awareness of the results of physics education research, and how to use them to help students-especially women-learn physics better. The presentations and discussions were valuable for both female and male physicists.

  19. Professional Learning in Unlikely Spaces: Social Media and Virtual Communities as Professional Development

    OpenAIRE

    Kathleen P. King

    2011-01-01

    In this case study, results demonstrate that an individual’s use of social media as professional learning spans understanding, networking, professional identity development, and transformative learning. Specifically, virtual online communities facilitated through social media provide professional networks, social relationships and learning beyond the scope of the individual’s usual experience. Case study method reveals strategies, extent, and impact of learning providing insight into this phe...

  20. Journaling: An Effective Approach to Professional Development For Reflective Teachers

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wang Peng

    2008-01-01

    As a new curriculum reform program was put forward in China,higher standards for teachers were given that teachers must have a potential of reflective development.Continuing and effective professional development is a common concern of most teachers and professional educators.Effective professional development usually means that not only does it have immediate impact on the work of the professional educator,but it has a long lasting impact.Unfortunately,such effective professional development activities are rare and,in turn,costly to the organization.The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a form of effective professional development which is not only economical but effective.That is the reflective journal.This article analyzes the application of Journal writing from these aspects of the definition,content and the procedures.

  1. Developing a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum for professionalism and scientific integrity training for biomedical graduate students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Nancy L; Peiffer, Ann M; Lambros, Ann; Guthold, Martin; Johnson, A Daniel; Tytell, Michael; Ronca, April E; Eldridge, J Charles

    2010-10-01

    A multidisciplinary faculty committee designed a curriculum to shape biomedical graduate students into researchers with a high commitment to professionalism and social responsibility and to provide students with tools to navigate complex, rapidly evolving academic and societal environments with a strong ethical commitment. The curriculum used problem-based learning (PBL), because it is active and learner-centred and focuses on skill and process development. Two courses were developed: Scientific Professionalism: Scientific Integrity addressed discipline-specific and broad professional norms and obligations for the ethical practice of science and responsible conduct of research (RCR). Scientific Professionalism: Bioethics and Social Responsibility focused on current ethical and bioethical issues within the scientific profession, and implications of research for society. Each small-group session examined case scenarios that included: (1) learning objectives for professional norms and obligations; (2) key ethical issues and philosophies within each topic area; (3) one or more of the RCR instructional areas; and (4) at least one type of moral reflection. Cases emphasised professional standards, obligations and underlying philosophies for the ethical practice of science, competing interests of stakeholders and oversight of science (internal and external). To our knowledge, this is the first use of a longitudinal, multi-semester PBL course to teach scientific integrity and professionalism. Both faculty and students endorsed the active learning approach for these topics, in contrast to a compliance-based approach that emphasises learning rules and regulations.

  2. Insights From the Development of an Environmental Science Professional Development Field Course for Undergraduates from Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, C. M.; Hall, S. R.; Walker, B.; Paul, J.

    2017-12-01

    Existing STEM retention and diversity programs have identified access to field and professional experiences as critical to helping students identify as scientists, form networks, and gain important skills necessary for employment. This program reimagines the traditional geology field course as a professional development experience for students at 2-year and 4-year institutions interested in environmental careers. Students participate in a summer field course in the Sierra Nevada of California, during which time they complete geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology field projects designed to compliment the curriculum of Environmental Geoscience, Environmental Science, and Environmental Studies programs. During the course students interact with local professionals in the environmental sector and work to earn badges based on the skills demonstrated during field projects. Badges create transparent documentation of skill mastery for students and provide a new way for students to understand and market their skills and competencies to potential employers. We will report on the curriculum development, implementation and assessment of the first cohort of students to participate in the program. Preliminary results of formative and summative assessments and their implications for student success and program design will be addressed.

  3. The international marketing of professional service projects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skaates, Maria Anne; Tikkanen, Henrikki; Alajoutsijärvi, Kimmo

    2003-01-01

    Many types of commercial professional services are commonly sold as projects. Therefore this article draws on the project marketing literature to elucidate the international marketing of professional service projects. After an initial literature review, the project marketing milieu concept......, and representations to another national milieu with similarly well-developed norms, rules, and representations, yet that there also exist global milieux. Managerial implications concerning professional service firms' preparation for entering a foreign milieu as well as subsidiary or office establishment abroad...

  4. Enabling professionals to change practices aimed at tackling social inequality through professional development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Bente; Brandi, Ulrik

    2018-01-01

    the impact of a professional development programme on changing practices that can address social inequality in ECEC. The article explores how a professional development programme, VIDA, can contribute to enabling professionals in enhancing the change potentials in ECEC, with a view to enhancing the learning......Research has shown the potential for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in making a difference for all children. However, research also highlights how hard overcoming the ‘gaps’ between children from differing social backgrounds still is. The overall aim of this article is to examine...... conditions and well-being of all children, and socially disadvantaged children in particular. The overall argument is that co-construction as well as openness and reflection in the ECEC field is needed when professionals are to change their pedagogical practices towards tackling the issues of social...

  5. Professional development to differentiate kindergarten Tier 1 instruction: Can already effective teachers improve student outcomes by differentiating Tier 1 instruction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otaiba, Stephanie Al; Folsom, Jessica S; Wanzek, Jeannie; Greulich, Luana; Wasche, Jessica; Schatschneider, Christopher; Connor, Carol

    Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes from baseline through two years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; (2) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of three cohorts of the teachers' students ( n = 416). Teachers' instruction was observed and students were assessed on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results suggested that teachers significantly increased their differentiation and students showed significantly greater word reading outcomes relative to baseline. No change was observed for vocabulary. Results have implications for supporting teacher effectiveness through technology-supported professional development.

  6. MOOCs for Teacher Professional Development: Reflections, and Suggested Actions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Pradeep Kumar

    2018-01-01

    Teacher Professional Development (TPD) has become a major policy priority within education systems worldwide. But keeping teachers professionally up-to-date and providing them professional development opportunities on continuing basis is a big challenge. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be a cost and resource effective means to complement…

  7. Professional Associations: Their Role in Promoting Sustainable Development in Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Ian; Hegarty, Kathryn; Whitman, Stuart; MacGregor, Val

    2012-01-01

    Professional associations have a strong influence on what is covered in the curricula of universities, especially that of professional degrees. They also provide members with professional development throughout their careers. Professional associations have the potential to facilitate development of sustainability competency in the workforce in…

  8. Twitter and Public Health (Part 1): How Individual Public Health Professionals Use Twitter for Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hart, Mark; Stetten, Nichole E; Islam, Sabrina; Pizarro, Katherine

    2017-09-20

    The use of social networking sites is increasingly being adopted in public health, in part, because of the barriers to funding and reduced resources. Public health professionals are using social media platforms, specifically Twitter, as a way to facilitate professional development. The objective of this study was to identify public health professionals using Twitter and to analyze how they use this platform to enhance their formal and informal professional development within the context of public health. Keyword searches were conducted to identify and invite potential participants to complete a survey related to their use of Twitter for public health and professional experiences. Data regarding demographic attributes, Twitter usage, and qualitative information were obtained through an anonymous Web-based survey. Open-response survey questions were analyzed using the constant comparison method. "Using Twitter makes it easier to expand my networking opportunities" and "I find Twitter useful for professional development" scored highest, with a mean score of 4.57 (standard deviation [SD] 0.74) and 4.43 (SD 0.76) on a 5-point Likert scale. Analysis of the qualitative data shows the emergence of the following themes for why public health professionals mostly use Twitter: (1) geography, (2) continuing education, (3) professional gain, and (4) communication. For public health professionals in this study, Twitter is a platform best used for their networking and professional development. Furthermore, the use of Twitter allows public health professionals to overcome a series of barriers and enhances opportunities for growth. ©Mark Hart, Nichole E Stetten, Sabrina Islam, Katherine Pizarro. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 20.09.2017.

  9. Critical Friends Group for EFL Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vo, Long Thanh; Nguyen, Hoa Thi Mai

    2010-01-01

    For the best student outcomes, teachers need to engage in continuous professional development. As a result, models of teacher professional development have been developed, among which is the Critical Friends Group (CFG) technique. However, whether it works well with EFL teachers in an Asian context like Vietnam, where EFL teachers in particular do…

  10. Cultural Core Competencies: Perceptions of 4-H Youth Development Professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet E. Fox

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available As society grows increasingly diverse, it is critical that youth development professionals are equipped with cultural core competencies. This descriptive study gauged the perceived level of cultural competence among 4-H Youth Development professionals from a Southern state in the United States. Based on the 4-H Professional Research, Knowledge, and Competency (PRKC Model (Stone & Rennekamp, 2004, youth development professionals rated their cultural competence (equity, access, and opportunity in eight core competency areas. Based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 0 = No knowledge to 4 = Expert, youth development professionals evaluated their cultural competence ranging from 0.66 to 4.00. According to an interpretive scale, most youth development professionals rated their competence as intermediate. Participants reported the skills of active listening and an open attitude as areas in which they felt most competent. Areas of least competence were community outreach policies and procedures. No significant relationships existed between the demographic variables of gender, degree earned, and field of study when compared to perceived cultural competence. The findings will be used to detect deficiencies and create opportunities for professional training and development experiences in supporting the cultural competence and growth of youth professionals.

  11. Social media: The next frontier for professional development in radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawson, Celeste; Cowling, Cynthia

    2015-01-01

    Background: Radiographers are required to undertake professional development in order to maintain registration. Professional development activities can be passive and isolate the practitioner. Social media is an interactive, collaborative, instant form of communication, which potentially addresses these concerns. Objectives: To establish whether the inherent challenges of social media use reduce its feasibility as a platform for professional development in radiography. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken using the PRISMA Guidelines. Academic databases were searched using pre-defined search terms, limits and inclusion criteria. Results: Zero reviewable papers were identified in the field of radiography globally. The search was expanded to “healthcare” and 810 papers were identified. After inclusion criteria and limits were applied, 12 papers were reviewed. Conclusions: Professional development using social media includes higher education, collaboration and networking. Managed with consideration to the inherent risks, social media provides a new means of inclusive professional development. - Highlights: • Professional development in radiography can draw on the benefits of social media. • Benefits of the social media platform are education, collaboration and networking. • Social media can reduce geographic and professional isolation. • Practitioners can share case studies and contribute professional opinions

  12. The pedagogical professional development of the English teacher in the Professional and Technical Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa María Padrón Otaño

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The teacher of English in Informatics studies in the Professional and Technical Education shows an insufficient preparation to plan the teaching learning process of reading comprehension in professional contexts, a fact that affects the communicative development of their students. The limitations in the development of these teachers of English were confirmed as one of the key causes. This research follows a dialectical materialist philosophy. In the diagnosis and the evaluation empirical methods such as the interview to teachers of English and document analysis, specialist criterion and a preexperimental design were used. The main research outcome is a contextualized pedagogical professional development strategy. The strategy comprises scientific foundations, diagnosis, general objective, specific actions and the evaluation. The main action of the strategy is postgraduate course to develop the pedagogical professional skills in the use of a methodology which promotes the development of knowledge and skills in both the technical sphere and a specialized didactics (Content and Language Integrated Learning. The practical implementation of the strategy elaborated seemed to allow the teachers of English to be able to plan their lessons using this methodology, and to show a new attitude which meant their active involvement in the creation of a community of learning with higher levels of interdisciplinary collaboration between the teachers of English and those of the technical sphere, as well as an effective management of their own continuing professional development.

  13. Continuous Professional Development of English Language Teachers: Perception and Practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AbdulRahman Al Asmari

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Professional development is considered as an essential element in enhancing the teaching and learning process to ensure student learning. Professional development can also be deemed as a cornerstone of teacher professionalism and quality. The governments and educational institutions invest significantly in Continuous Professional Development (CPD to improve teacher quality and to meet the changing needs of the students. To uncover the perceptions and practices of professional development in Saudi Arabia, a survey was conducted at Taif University English Language Centre. The sample consisted of 121 English language teachers from various countries and having varied educational and academic experiences. The survey comprised items relevant to learning approaches, concept of professional development, perceptions and feedback on CPD. The respondents supported lifelong learning and experiential learning leading towards learner centered approach. They perceived the CPD as a challenge to their existing knowledge and classroom practice. However, they expressed their concerns regarding indigenization of activities in CPDs, institutional support in conducting classroom activities, and follow up activities.  Keywords: Professional development, Teacher perception, ELT in Saudi Arabia

  14. The Development and Impact of a Social Media and Professionalism Course for Medical Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Alexandra W; Butera, Gisela; Chretien, Katherine C; Kind, Terry

    2017-01-01

    online professionalism curricula focused on implications and best practices helps medical students develop an awareness of their electronic professional identities.

  15. Grounding formative assessment in high-school chemistry classrooms: Connections between professional development and teacher practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cisterna Alburquerque, Dante Igor

    better understanding of students' ideas and her mindset shifted to place more value on the diversity of students' thinking and help them be more aware of their ideas. This study illustrates the complexities of enacting formative assessment practices in particular classrooms because teachers may interpret and use these tools in different ways. Thus, when teachers enacted these mediating tools, their interaction with the activity system's components produced different instructional outcomes and tensions. Similarly, this study describes how the use of artifacts of practice can be a vehicle between professional development and classrooms, especially in early stages of professional development. This study presents implications for professional development and formative assessment research and practice. Professional development needs to support teachers in reflecting on their practice in terms of activity systems, use a solid and research-based understanding of formative assessment, and promote opportunities to teachers to create, enact, and reflect on formative assessment artifacts and tools.

  16. An analysis of zoo and aquarium provided teacher professional development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubarek-Sandor, Joy

    Informal science institutions are a significant provider of science teacher professional development. As pressure continues to critically analyze the work of teachers and their effectiveness in the classroom, it is important to understand how informal science institutions contribute to effective change in teacher science content knowledge and pedagogy. This research study analyzed zoo and aquarium provided teacher professional development to respond to the research questions: How do zoos and aquaria determine and assess their goals for teacher professional development? How do these goals align with effective teacher change for science content knowledge and pedagogy? Theoretical frameworks for high quality teacher professional development, effective evaluation of teacher professional development, and learning in informal science settings guided the research. The sample for the study was AZA accredited zoos and aquariums providing teacher professional development (N=107). Data collection consisted of an online questionnaire, follow-up interviews, and content analysis of teacher professional development artifacts. Analysis revealed that by and large zoos and aquariums are lacking in their provision of science teacher professional development. Most professional development focuses on content or resources, neglecting pedagogy. Assessments mismatch the goals and rely heavily on self-report and satisfaction measures. The results demonstrate a marked difference between those zoos and aquariums that are larger in capacity versus those that are medium to small in size. This may be an area of research for the future, as well as analyzing the education resources produced by zoos and aquariums as these were emphasized heavily as a way they serve teachers.

  17. Investigating Rural Teachers' Professional Development, Instructional Knowledge, and Classroom Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glover, Todd A.; Nugent, Gwen C.; Chumney, Frances L.; Ihlo, Tanya; Shapiro, Edward S.; Guard, Kirra; Koziol, Natalie; Bovaird, Jim

    2016-01-01

    Teachers Speak was a national survey study designed to investigate the characteristics of rural elementary school teachers' existing professional development; differences in professional development practices between rural and non-rural settings; and the potential influence of professional development characteristics on rural teachers' knowledge,…

  18. #TwitterforTeachers: The Implications of Twitter as a Self-Directed Professional Development Tool for K-12 Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visser, Ryan D.; Evering, Lea Calvert; Barrett, David E.

    2014-01-01

    This mixed-methods study explores how K-12 teachers use Twitter. An online survey was disseminated via Twitter to gauge their usage of, access to, and perceptions of Twitter. The results indicated that teachers highly value Twitter as a means of self-directed professional development. Respondents who reported using Twitter multiple times a day…

  19. Reflection of the Development of Professional Graduates Education in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Jing

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The development of professional degree graduates education plays a crucial role in social economy development and the industrial restructuring, promotes academic degrees and graduates education growth and could further ameliorate China's professional degrees education system. Currently, the professional degree graduates education meet with some problems, such as low level of professional degrees education, the scale of development imbalances, lack of innovation in training mode, quality assurance and management system is incomplete, the policy formulated backwardness. As a higher education theory researcher, rational thinking of these problems would help to stimulate the long-term development of professional degree graduates education and to provide educational reference.

  20. Reflection and Professional Identity Development in Design Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tracey, Monica W.; Hutchinson, Alisa

    2018-01-01

    Design thinking positions designers as the drivers of the design space yet academic discourse is largely silent on the topic of professional identity development in design. Professional identity, or the dynamic narratives that individuals construct and maintain to integrate their personal qualities with professional responsibilities, has not been…

  1. Professional development of teacher educators through informal learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    MEd Marly Gootzen; drs Maurice Schols; dr Rita Schildwacht; dr.ir. Quinta Kools; drs Marina Bouckaert-den Draak

    2012-01-01

    Introduction and theoretical background Professional development of teacher educators is an important issue because in order to be able to teach the teachers of the future, teacher educators have to keep their own knowledge and skills 'future proof' (Kools, 2011a). A lot of professional development

  2. Supporting Teacher Change Through Online Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte J. Boling, Ph.D.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available This multiple case study examines elementary teachers’ experiences as they participated in the online professional development course, Cognitive Literacy Strategies for the Elementary Classroom. This study explores teacher change and the elements necessary to facilitate the change. Issues concerning content, the change process, the online learning environment, and technology are examined. Findings indicate that online learning is a viable means of providing professional development and facilitating teacher change.

  3. Resilience and professional development for primary school teachers

    OpenAIRE

    Dulc, Tjaša

    2016-01-01

    A teacher’s professional role is becoming more and more demanding, therefore resiliency has become one of the important aspects of the quality of a teacher’s work and their professional development. Resiliency in the teaching environment means not only resistance from stress but also knowing how to face it. Despite teachers’ taking part in several courses that help them grow professionally and develop themselves, there remains a question in what extent and in what way these courses help teach...

  4. Information Professionals in the Digital Age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cronin, Blaise

    1998-01-01

    Describes the strategic significance of information and intelligence management to socioeconomic growth. Considers implications in terms of human and structural intellectual capital development. Provides demand- and supply-side analyses of the knowledge and skills required of information professionals in the digital age. (Author)

  5. Students with Anxiety: Implications for Professional School Counselors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, E. Heather; Robertson, Phyllis; Curtis, Russ; Frick, Melodie H.

    2013-01-01

    Anxiety is one of the most pervasive mental health concerns affecting students, yet a significant number of students with anxiety disorders remain underserved. If left untreated, anxiety can hinder students' personal/social, academic, and career development. The purpose of this article is to provide professional school counselors with helpful…

  6. Helping Teachers Help Themselves: Professional Development That Makes a Difference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, Kevin; Parker, Melissa; Tannehill, Deborah

    2015-01-01

    For school administrators to facilitate impactful teacher professional development, a shift in thinking that goes beyond the acquisition of new skills and knowledge to helping teachers rethink their practice is required. Based on review of the professional development literature and our own continued observations of professional development, this…

  7. Relational Restorative Justice Pedagogy in Educator Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaandering, Dorothy

    2014-01-01

    What would a professional development experience rooted in the philosophy, principles, and practices of restorative justice look and feel like? This article describes how such a professional development project was designed to implement restorative justice principles and practices into schools in a proactive, relational and sustainable manner by…

  8. Teacher Perspectives on Literacy and Mathematics Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Christie; Polly, Drew; Mraz, Maryann; Algozzine, Robert

    2018-01-01

    This study examines teacher's perspectives of the most beneficial professional development they have participated in over the last three years in the content areas of literacy and mathematics. It also investigates teachers views on how professional development influences student learning. Specifically, this study is grounded in the following…

  9. Teacher Professional Learning: Developing with the Aid of Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyprianou, Marianna; Nikiforou, Eleni

    2016-01-01

    Education is a field that constantly changes, which dictates the need for continuing teacher professional learning and development. Teacher professional learning and development can be divided into two categories: formal learning/ development and informal learning/development. This paper focuses on the experience of the presenters as coordinators…

  10. Identity and Professional Networking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raj, Medha; Fast, Nathanael J; Fisher, Oliver

    2017-06-01

    Despite evidence that large professional networks afford a host of financial and professional benefits, people vary in how motivated they are to build such networks. To help explain this variance, the present article moves beyond a rational self-interest account to examine the possibility that identity shapes individuals' intentions to network. Study 1 established a positive association between viewing professional networking as identity-congruent and the tendency to prioritize strengthening and expanding one's professional network. Study 2 revealed that manipulating the salience of the self affects networking intentions, but only among those high in networking identity-congruence. Study 3 further established causality by experimentally manipulating identity-congruence to increase networking intentions. Study 4 examined whether identity or self-interest is a better predictor of networking intentions, providing support for the former. These findings indicate that identity influences the networks people develop. Implications for research on the self, identity-based motivation, and professional networking are discussed.

  11. Continuing Professional Development in the quantity surveying ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This research study was conducted in order to investigate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the South African quantity surveying profession. The study further aimed to establish the reasons why some quantity surveyors do not acquire the required CPD hours and face losing their professional registration with ...

  12. Development of a Professional Certification in Cancer Patient Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadakos, Janet; D'souza, Anna; Masse, Adeline; Boyko, Susan; Clarke, Susan; Giuliani, Meredith; MacKinnon, Keira; McBain, Sarah; McCallum, Meg; MacVinnie, Jan; Papadakos, Tina

    2018-04-19

    Patient educators come into the field from diverse professional backgrounds and often lack training in how to teach and develop patient education resources since no formal patient education professional certification program exists. A professional certification program for patient educators would further define the professional scope of practice and reduce variability in performance. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the level of interest among Canadian cancer patient educators in a patient education professional certification program and (2) determine the competencies to be included in the professional certification program. A 12-item survey was designed by executive members of the Canadian Chapter of the Cancer Patient Education Network. The survey included a list of competencies associated with patient education, and a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "slightly important" to "very important" was used to determine the rank of each competency. The survey was sent to 53 patient educators across Canada. Ninety-two percent of the patient educators are interested in a professional certification program. Patient educators indicated that competencies related to developing patient resources, collaboration, plain language expertise, and health literacy were of most importance. Patient educators support the development of a patient education professional certification program and endorsed the competencies proposed. This information provides the foundation for the creation of a professional certification program for cancer patient educators.

  13. Teacher professional development: articulation between contexts and dispositions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabeth Barolli

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the conditions that can promote professional teacher development is extremely relevant, especially in the perspective of providing subsidies for the planning of contexts for this purpose. In this work, we had the objective of investigating the trajectory of two Physics teachers when interacting with two formative contexts (Professional Master’s and Teaching Initiation Scholarship Institutional Program - PIBID differentiated in terms of requirements and possibilities of professional teacher development. Through semi-structured interviews, we obtained the necessary elements to reconstruct the trajectory of these teachers during their participation in those contexts based on Narrative Analysis associated with another procedure coming from Sociology, which is the Sociological Portrait. To reconstruct the history of these teachers we took into account the concept of individual heritage of dispositions addressed by Bernard Lahire (2005, as well as the dimensions of professional development proposed by Barolli et al. (2017. Our results indicate that it is not enough to propose a context that follows the guidelines of the literature in the sense of not being guided, for example, only in the guidelines of a technical rationality, so that the subject develops professionally. Deep changes seem to require conditions that have been closely linked to the particularities of subjects and contexts.

  14. Pharma Websites and "Professionals-Only" Information: The Implications for Patient Trust and Autonomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graber, Mark Alan; Hershkop, Eliyakim; Graber, Rachel Ilana

    2017-05-24

    Access to information is critical to a patient's valid exercise of autonomy. One increasingly important source of medical information is the Internet. Individuals often turn to drug company ("pharma") websites to look for drug information. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is information on pharma websites that is embargoed: Is there information that is hidden from the patient unless she attests to being a health care provider? We discuss the implications of our findings for health care ethics. We reviewed a convenience sample of 40 pharma websites for "professionals-only" areas and determined whether access to those areas was restricted, requiring attestation that the user is a health care professional in the United States. Of the 40 websites reviewed, 38 had information that was labeled for health care professionals-only. Of these, 24 required the user to certify their status as a health care provider before they were able to access this "hidden" information. Many pharma websites include information in a "professionals-only" section. Of these, the majority require attestation that the user is a health care professional before they can access the information. This leaves patients with two bad choices: (1) not accessing the information or (2) lying about being a health care professional. Both of these outcomes are unacceptable. In the first instance, the patient's access to information is limited, potentially impairing their health and their ability to make reasonable and well-informed decisions. In the second instance, they may be induced to lie in a medical setting. "Teaching" patients to lie may have adverse consequences for the provider-patient relationship. ©Mark Alan Graber, Eliyakim Hershkop, Rachel Ilana Graber. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 24.05.2017.

  15. Professional Development for Teachers of English Language Learners: Discursive Norms, Learning Processes, and Professional Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molle, Daniella

    2010-01-01

    The lack of empirical scholarship on professional development initiatives for teachers of English language learners (ELLs) in US schools has been repeatedly documented in educational research. The present dissertation project examines a professional development course specifically designed for K-12 teachers of ELLs. The course aims to foster the…

  16. Barriers to continuous professional development participation for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background. Updating knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis is an important requirement if one is to remain professionally relevant. Formalised continuous professional development (CPD) is, therefore, essential to stay up to date in a dynamic work environment. The majority of radiographers in Kenya work in remote ...

  17. Principles for Further Education in Professional Communication: Continuing Education or Postgraduate Degrees?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Withnall, Janice; Harris, Rebecca

    1998-01-01

    Presents preliminary findings about practitioners' attitudes to postgraduate education in journalism and public relations. Discusses implications for university education, vocational specialization and continuing professional development in light of current debates on professionalization, the tertiary education sector, and the nature of knowledge…

  18. An Examination of the Relationship between Professional Development Providers' Epistemological and Nature of Science Beliefs and Their Professional Development Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia Arriola, Alfonso

    2017-01-01

    In the last twenty years in US science education, professional development has emphasized the need to change science instruction from a direct instruction model to a more participatory and constructivist learning model. The result of these reform efforts has seen an increase in science education professional development that is focused on…

  19. Professional development in college science teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Aimee Kathryn

    Graduate students earning a doctorate in the sciences historically focus their work on research and not professional development in college science teaching. However, for those who go on to a career in academia, a majority of their time will be dedicated to teaching. During the past few years, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) have been prepared to teach by attending a daylong workshop that included logistical information, but left pedagogy largely unexplored. Since that time, a seminar has been added to provide an introduction to pedagogical theory and practices and to provide practice teaching in the biological sciences laboratory course. Yet, more pedagogical preparation is needed. This study was conducted to determine if there was a need for a teaching certificate program for doctoral students in the College of Science and Technology (CoST) at The University of Southern Mississippi. The GTA respondents studied set teaching goals that were consistent with faculty members across the country; however, this research went further by finding out how competent the GTAs perceived they were and how much support they perceived they needed with respect to teaching and professional development. The GTAs did not differ in their perceived level of competence based on experience level; however, the less experienced GTAs did perceive they needed more support than the experienced GTAs. To help GTAs develop a skill set that many CoST graduates currently lack, it is recommended that the University provide ample training and supervision. Establishing a certificate program can potentially impact the community in the following ways: (1) the training of GTAs contributes to the academic preparation of future academic professionals who will be teaching in various institutions; (2) GTA training provides professional development and awareness that teaching requires life long professional development; (3) ensuring competent academicians, not only in content but also in pedagogy; (4

  20. Protecting personal information: Implications of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act for healthcare professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buys, M

    2017-10-31

    Careless handling of patient information in daily medical practice can result in Health Professions Council of South Africa sanction, breach of privacy lawsuits and, in extreme cases, serious monetary penalty or even imprisonment. This review will focus on the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act (No. 4 of 2013) and the implications thereof for healthcare professionals in daily practice. Recommendations regarding the safeguarding of information are made.

  1. Action learning enhances professional development of research supervisors: an Australian health science exemplar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Kierrynn; Brownie, Sonya; Doran, Frances; Evans, Sue; Hutchinson, Marie; Mozolic-Staunton, Beth; Provost, Stephen; van Aken, Rosalie

    2012-03-01

    The worldwide academic workforce is ageing. At the same time, health and human services workforces are expanding. The preparation of educators to fill gaps in expertise and to position the health sciences for future growth is an urgent need. The findings from a recent action learning project that aimed to enhance the professional growth and development of higher degree researcher student supervisors in a School of Health and Human Sciences are presented. Seven early career researchers and the facilitator met for two hours every two to three weeks over 4 months between April and July 2010, in a rural and regional university in New South Wales, Australia. The processes initiated were a combination of experiential knowledge, referral to relevant published reports, use of an effective supervision checklist, and critical conversations. Learning outcomes centered on higher degree management and supervision pedagogy, communities of practice, knowledge translation, and the establishment of a research culture. The contextual barriers and implications of the methodology and learning outcomes for the professional development of health and human science practitioners, researchers and educators is also discussed. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  2. Teacher Characteristics and School-Based Professional Development in Inclusive STEM-focused High Schools: A Cross-case Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spillane, Nancy Kay

    Within successful Inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-focused High Schools (ISHSs), it is not only the students who are learning. Teachers, with diverse backgrounds, training, and experience, share and develop their knowledge through rich, embedded professional development to continuously shape their craft, improve their teaching, and support student success. This study of four exemplars of ISHSs (identified by experts in STEM education as highly successful in preparing students underrepresented in STEM for STEM majors in college and future STEM careers) provides a rich description of the relationships among the characteristics of STEM teachers, their professional development, and the school cultures that allow teachers to develop professionally and serve the needs of students. By providing a framework for the development of teaching staffs in ISHSs and contributing to the better understanding of STEM teaching in any school, this study offers valuable insight, implications, and information for states and school districts as they begin planning improvements to STEM education programs. A thorough examination of an existing data set that included site visits to four ISHSs along with pre- and post-visit data, provided the resource for this multiple case study with cross-case analysis of the teachers and their teacher professional development experiences. Administrators in these ISHSs had the autonomy to hire teachers with strong content backgrounds, philosophical alignment with the school missions, and a willingness to work collaboratively toward achieving the schools' goals. Ongoing teacher professional development began before school started and continued throughout the school day and year through intense and sustained, formal and informal, active learning experiences. Flexible professional development systems varied, but aligned with targeted school reforms and teacher and student needs. Importantly, collaborative teacher learning

  3. School Culture and Postgraduate Professional Development: Delineating the "Enabling School"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arthur, Linet; Marland, Harriet; Pill, Amanda; Rea, Tony

    2010-01-01

    The culture of the "enabling school" is investigated within the context of the government's policy of continuing professional development and postgraduate professional development for teachers in England. This context is problematised by considering teachers' conceptualisations of their professional autonomy, status and personal…

  4. Teaching Evidence-Based Practice across Curricula-An Overview of a Professional Development Course for Occupational Therapy Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daly, Marta M; DeAngelis, Tina M

    2017-01-01

    A professional development course for occupational therapy educators about teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) was developed and piloted. The course was developed to promote increased awareness of resources and methods for teaching EBP that are applicable across entry-level curricula. Participants included full-time faculty (n = 7) from one entry-level occupational therapy program in the New York City area. The results of the pilot informed refinement of the course in preparation for delivery to a wider audience of educators. This paper provides a description of the course, results of the pilot, and implications for future delivery of the course.

  5. Technology Professional Developer Conceptions and Misconceptions of Knowledge Required for the Educational Technology Specialist Certification, and Their Use of the Elements of Effective Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marr, John P.

    2011-01-01

    Professional development has been a focus of public education since World War II, yet, it was not until the passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act in 1994 that professional development became federally mandated. The infusion of educational technology at the start of Goals 2000 created a natural connection with professional development. In…

  6. Global Education and Professional Development of Minority Youth

    OpenAIRE

    Sdunzik, Jennifer; Leon, Rocio; Yaryyeva, Annagul

    2018-01-01

    “Global Education and Professional Development of Minority Youth" was developed to establish connections between the Purdue student body and the Frankfort community. By engaging high school students in workshops that focus on identities, students are encouraged to identify and market the talents they contribute to an increasingly globalized world. Students participate in workshops to develop their professional skills and articulate their transnational social location. The workshops were desig...

  7. Professional Learning in Unlikely Spaces: Social Media and Virtual Communities as Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathleen P. King

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In this case study, results demonstrate that an individual’s use of social media as professional learning spans understanding, networking, professional identity development, and transformative learning. Specifically, virtual online communities facilitated through social media provide professional networks, social relationships and learning beyond the scope of the individual’s usual experience. Case study method reveals strategies, extent, and impact of learning providing insight into this phenomenon. The significance of the research includes purposefully facilitating professional learning through informal learning contexts, including social media and online communities beyond technology-centric fields. Discussion and recommendations include using social media and virtual communities as instructional strategies for graduate studies and continued learning beyond formal education.

  8. Does the professional attitude of physicians always affect their professional behaviour? A survey in tertiary hospitals in Nanchang City, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xuan; Wang, Xuan; Du, Xin; Du, Xin; Liu, Chenxi; Liu, Chenxi; Zhang, Xinping; Zhang, Xinping

    2018-03-23

    Objective Understanding the effect of professional attitude on professional behaviour is conducive to the development of targeted measures to promote professionalism. The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of professional attitude on professional behaviour. Methods Using a self-reported questionnaire, 212 physicians were surveyed using quota sampling in six tertiary hospitals in Nanchang City. The effect of professional attitude on professional behaviour was analysed through logistic regression analysis. Results Providing necessary care regardless of a patient's ability to pay, working on quality improvement initiatives, informing patients of medical errors and reporting incompetent colleagues had significant positive effects on corresponding professional behaviour (odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) 11.06 (3.78, 32.40), 9.42 (1.93, 46.01), 4.04 (1.29, 12.63) and 5.51 (1.26, 24.08) respectively). However, attitudes towards minimising disparities in care, undergoing periodic recertification examinations and reporting medical errors did not significantly affect corresponding professional behaviour. Conclusions Professional attitude affects professional behaviour, but such an effect varies with different professional norms. These findings imply that improving the professional attitude is useful but insufficient to promote medical professionalism. A management system conducive to the conversion of professional attitude to professional behaviour should be established. What is known about the topic? Several studies have affirmed that Chinese physicians accept most areas of medical professionalism embodied in the Charter on Medical Professionalism. However, only a few published studies have examined the effect of professional attitude on professional behaviour. Understanding the effect of professional attitude on professional behaviour is conducive to the development of targeted measures to promote professionalism. The present study attempted to fill

  9. Competency-based continuing professional development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Campbell, Craig; Silver, Ivan; Sherbino, Jonathan; Ten Cate, Olle; Holmboe, Eric S.

    2010-01-01

    Competence is traditionally viewed as the attainment of a static set of attributes rather than a dynamic process in which physicians continuously use their practice experiences to "progress in competence'' toward the attainment of expertise. A competency-based continuing professional development

  10. Combining Project-based Instruction, Earth Science Content, and GIS Technology in Teacher Professional Development: Is this Holistic Approach Sustainable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubino-Hare, L.; Bloom, N.; Claesgens, J.; Fredrickson, K.; Henderson-Dahms, C.; Sample, J. C.

    2012-12-01

    From 2009-2011, with support from the National Science Foundation (ITEST, DRL-0929846) and Science Foundation Arizona (MSAG-0412-09), educators, geologists and geographers at Northern Arizona University (NAU) partnered to offer professional development for interdisciplinary teams of secondary and middle school teachers with a focus on project-based instruction (PBI) using geospatial technologies (GST). While participating in professional development teachers received support and were held accountable to NAU staff. They implemented activities and pedagogical strategies presented, increased knowledge, skills, and confidence teaching with project-based instruction integrating GST, and their students demonstrated learning gains. Changes in student understanding are only observed when teachers continue to implement change, so the question remained: did these changes in practice sustain after official project support ended? In order to determine what, if anything, teachers sustained from the professional development and the factors that promoted or hindered sustained use of teaching with GST and PBI, data were collected one to two years following the professional development. Research questions included a) what pedagogical practices did teachers sustain following the professional learning experiences? and b) what contexts were present in schools that supported or limited the use of geospatial technologies as a teaching and learning tool? Findings from this study indicate that teachers fall into three categories of sustaining implementation - reformed implementers, mechanical implementers and non-implementers. School context was less of a factor in level of implementation than teachers' beliefs and philosophy of teaching and teachers' understanding of technology integration (teaching with technology vs. teaching technology). Case studies of teacher experiences will be presented along with implications for future professional development.

  11. Exploring the utility of measures of critical thinking dispositions and professional behavior development in an audiology education program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Stella L; Bartlett, Doreen J; Lucy, S Deborah

    2013-05-01

    Discussions about professional behaviors are growing increasingly prevalent across health professions, especially as a central component to education programs. A strong critical thinking disposition, paired with critical consciousness, may provide future health professionals with a foundation for solving challenging practice problems through the application of sound technical skill and scientific knowledge without sacrificing sensitive, empathic, client-centered practice. In this article, we describe an approach to monitoring student development of critical thinking dispositions and key professional behaviors as a way to inform faculty members' and clinical supervisors' support of students and ongoing curriculum development. We designed this exploratory study to describe the trajectory of change for a cohort of audiology students' critical thinking dispositions (measured by the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory: [CCTDI]) and professional behaviors (using the Comprehensive Professional Behaviors Development Log-Audiology [CPBDL-A]) in an audiology program. Implications for the CCTDI and CPBDL-A in audiology entry-to-practice curricula and professional development will be discussed. This exploratory study involved a cohort of audiology students, studied over a two-year period, using a one-group repeated measures design. Eighteen audiology students (two male and 16 female), began the study. At the third and final data collection point, 15 students completed the CCTDI, and nine students completed the CPBDL-A. The CCTDI and CPBDL-A were each completed at three time points: at the beginning, at the middle, and near the end of the audiology education program. Data are presented descriptively in box plots to examine the trends of development for each critical thinking disposition dimension and each key professional behavior as well as for an overall critical thinking disposition score. For the CCTDI, there was a general downward trend from time point 1 to

  12. The 4-H Youth Development Professionals Workload Relationship to Job Satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carrie Stark

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available A study to determine what job responsibilities Extension 4-H youth development professionals (n=241 chose to spend their work time doing and how the workload related to their job satisfaction and burnout is discussed in this paper. Workload was determined using the 4-H Professional, Research, Knowledge, and Competencies (4-H PRKC. Professionals identified their level of job satisfaction and burnout. Based on the previous research on workload, burnout, and job satisfaction, 4-H youth development professionals are prime candidates for experiencing low job satisfaction and increased burnout, which may lead to professionals leaving the organization early. 4-H youth development professionals reported being satisfied with their job and felt very little burnout. Even with the positive job satisfaction and low burnout, there are strategies shared for each of the 4-H PRKC domains to help 4-H professionals continue to have a high level of job satisfaction and low burnout. Many of the strategies that are shared in this paper are applicable to not only 4-H youth development professionals but to any professional who works in the field of youth development.

  13. Presentatie: Professional development of university teachers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ebrecht, Diny

    2012-01-01

    Ebrecht, D. (2012, 4 juni). Professional development of university teachers. Presentatie bijeenkomst UOC-vertegenwoordigers in het kader van Erasmusuitwisseling, Heerlen, Nederland: Open Universiteit, L&C.

  14. Flipped ESL Teacher Professional Development: Embracing Change to Remain Relevant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razak, Rafiza Abdul; Kaur, Dalwinder; Halili, Siti Hajar; Ramlan, Zahri

    2016-01-01

    Many traditional professional development programs that are initiated to equip ESL teachers with knowledge and skills have been futile for numerous reasons. This paper addresses a gap in the recent research of ESL teachers' professional development. Literature has revealed many shortcomings of the traditional and online professional development…

  15. Development and evaluation of an innovative model of inter-professional education focused on asthma medication use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z; Stuart, Meg; Mackson, Judith; Cvetkovski, Biljana; Sainsbury, Erica; Armour, Carol; Mavritsakis, Sofia; Mendrela, Gosia; Travers-Mason, Pippa; Williamson, Margaret

    2014-04-07

    Inter-professional learning has been promoted as the solution to many clinical management issues. One such issue is the correct use of asthma inhaler devices. Up to 80% of people with asthma use their inhaler device incorrectly. The implications of this are poor asthma control and quality of life. Correct inhaler technique can be taught, however these educational instructions need to be repeated if correct technique is to be maintained. It is important to maximise the opportunities to deliver this education in primary care. In light of this, it is important to explore how health care providers, in particular pharmacists and general medical practitioners, can work together in delivering inhaler technique education to patients, over time. Therefore, there is a need to develop and evaluate effective inter-professional education, which will address the need to educate patients in the correct use of their inhalers as well as equip health care professionals with skills to engage in collaborative relationships with each other. This mixed methods study involves the development and evaluation of three modules of continuing education, Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3. A fourth group, Model 4, acting as a control.Model 1 consists of face-to-face continuing professional education on asthma inhaler technique, aimed at pharmacists, general medical practitioners and their practice nurses.Model 2 is an electronic online continuing education module based on Model 1 principles.Model 3 is also based on asthma inhaler technique education but employs a learning intervention targeting health care professional relationships and is based on sociocultural theory.This study took the form of a parallel group, repeated measure design. Following the completion of continuing professional education, health care professionals recruited people with asthma and followed them up for 6 months. During this period, inhaler device technique training was delivered and data on patient inhaler technique

  16. Manifesto for the Software Development Professionalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Red Latinoamericana en Ingeniería de Software (RedLatinaIS

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available One of the central problems of current economic development and industrial competitiveness, social and scientific, is the complexity of large and intensive software systems, and processes for their development and implementation. This complexity is defined by the amount and heterogeneity of the interaction of the hardware with the software components, their inter-relationships, of incorporation of the technical and organizational environments, and the interfaces to humans. The domain of these systems requires actions and scientific thoughts, hierarchical and systematic; also, the success of the products, services and organizations, is increasingly determined by the availability of suitable software products. Therefore, highly qualified professionals, able to understand and master the systems, involved in the entire life cycle of software engineering, and adopt different roles during the development. This is the reason that guide the thinking of this Manifesto , which aims is to achieve the Professionalization of Software Development.

  17. Analysis of professional competencies for the clinical research data management profession: implications for training and professional certification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zozus, Meredith N; Lazarov, Angel; Smith, Leigh R; Breen, Tim E; Krikorian, Susan L; Zbyszewski, Patrick S; Knoll, Shelly K; Jendrasek, Debra A; Perrin, Derek C; Zambas, Demetris N; Williams, Tremaine B; Pieper, Carl F

    2017-07-01

    To assess and refine competencies for the clinical research data management profession. Based on prior work developing and maintaining a practice standard and professional certification exam, a survey was administered to a captive group of clinical research data managers to assess professional competencies, types of data managed, types of studies supported, and necessary foundational knowledge. Respondents confirmed a set of 91 professional competencies. As expected, differences were seen in job tasks between early- to mid-career and mid- to late-career practitioners. Respondents indicated growing variability in types of studies for which they managed data and types of data managed. Respondents adapted favorably to the separate articulation of professional competencies vs foundational knowledge. The increases in the types of data managed and variety of research settings in which data are managed indicate a need for formal education in principles and methods that can be applied to different research contexts (ie, formal degree programs supporting the profession), and stronger links with the informatics scientific discipline, clinical research informatics in particular. The results document the scope of the profession and will serve as a foundation for the next revision of the Certified Clinical Data Manager TM exam. A clear articulation of professional competencies and necessary foundational knowledge could inform the content of graduate degree programs or tracks in areas such as clinical research informatics that will develop the current and future clinical research data management workforce. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  18. Knowledge-Basing Teaching Professions and Professional Practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thingstrup, Signe Hvid

    This paper discusses the demand for knowledge-based practice and two different answers to this demand, namely evidence-based thinking and critical-political thinking. The paper discusses the implications these have for views on knowledge and professional development. The paper presents and discus...

  19. Continuing Professional Development in Context: Teachers' Continuing Professional Development Culture in Germany and Sweden

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wermke, Wieland

    2011-01-01

    This article investigates the continuing professional development (CPD) culture of teachers, and asks how it is influenced by properties of the school system. It reports the results of a questionnaire study with 418 secondary teachers from Sweden and Germany. The results show highly significant differences between Swedish and German teachers'…

  20. Team-Based Professional Development Interventions in Higher Education: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gast, Inken; Schildkamp, Kim; van der Veen, Jan T

    2017-08-01

    Most professional development activities focus on individual teachers, such as mentoring or the use of portfolios. However, new developments in higher education require teachers to work together in teams more often. Due to these changes, there is a growing need for professional development activities focusing on teams. Therefore, this review study was conducted to provide an overview of what is known about professional development in teams in the context of higher education. A total of 18 articles were reviewed that describe the effects of professional development in teams on teacher attitudes and teacher learning. Furthermore, several factors that can either hinder or support professional development in teams are identified at the individual teacher level, at the team level, and also at the organizational level.

  1. Professional Android 4 Application Development

    CERN Document Server

    Meier, Reto

    2012-01-01

    Developers, build mobile Android apps using Android 4 The fast-growing popularity of Android smartphones and tablets creates a huge opportunities for developers. If you're an experienced developer, you can start creating robust mobile Android apps right away with this professional guide to Android 4 application development. Written by one of Google's lead Android developer advocates, this practical book walks you through a series of hands-on projects that illustrate the features of the Android SDK. That includes all the new APIs introduced in Android 3 and 4, including building for tablets, u

  2. Development of Professional Teacher Competences for Cooperation with Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viskovic, Ivana; Višnjic Jevtic, Adrijana

    2017-01-01

    Based on the belief that professional competences can partially be developed through professional training a cycle of ten educational workshops was designed. Combining theoretical knowledge, quality practice examples and discussions, the workshops strived to improve professional teacher competences. The assumed outcome was determined by difference…

  3. Professional identity development: Learning and journeying together.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridges, Stephanie J

    2018-03-01

    Pharmacy students start to develop their professional values through engagement with the course, practice exposure, staff and fellow students. Group working is an element of pedagogy which draws on the social aspects of learning to facilitate knowledge and skills development, but its potential role in facilitating professional identity formation has as yet been under researched. This study aimed to explore the potential of mutual learning through group work to contribute not only to academic knowledge and understanding, but also to the development of students' professional values and selves. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 home and international first year undergraduate pharmacy students in a UK School of Pharmacy, to explore their experiences of interacting for learning with other students on the course. Thematic analysis of the interview data highlighted four main benefits of mutual learning, which are that it: promotes friendly interactions; aids learning about the subject and the profession; opens the mind through different opinions and ways of thinking; and enables learning about other people. Through working together students developed their communication skills and confidence; reflectively considered their own stance in the light of others' experiences and healthcare perspectives; and started to gain a wider worldview, potentially informing their future interactions with patients and colleagues. Some difficulties arose when group interactions functioned less well. Opportunity for collaboration and exchange can positively influence development of students' professional outlook and values. However, careful management of group working is required, in order to create a mutually supportive environment wherein students feel able to interact, share and develop together. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Measurement of Organisation-Professional Conflict in the industrial psychology profession

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colette Lourens

    2012-11-01

    Research purpose: To establish the measurement of the perceptions and experiences of industrial psychology (IP professionals, employed in South African organisations, with regard to Organisation-Professional Conflict (OPC as well as the antecedents associated with this phenomenon. Motivation for the study: Although the extent to which professionals experience OPC is well documented for medical and accountancy professionals, the extent to which IP professionals experience this phenomenon remains unclear. Research design, approach and method: A structured questionnaire was developed and applied as a cross-sectional survey to all registered South African IP professionals employed in organisations. Responses based on the N = 143 self-selecting respondents were captured and utilised for statistical analysis. Main findings: OPC in the IP profession can be considered as the incongruence between professional organisational roles and duties, and their responsibility to adhere to professional obligations. Professional autonomy and strategic alignment were found to mitigate the occurrence of OPC, whereas power tension and compromise of professionalism seem to exacerbate the occurrence thereof. Practical/managerial implications: The research might create an awareness of the existence of OPC amongst the respective stakeholders. Knowledge of OPC may have implications for professionals who render their professional services to organisations. Contribution/value-add: The findings may inform formal professional associations, industrial psychologists employed by organisations, their employing organisations, and the governing board, about the nature and extent of OPC.

  5. Interdisciplinary Professional Development: Astrolabes for Medievalists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Kristine

    2014-06-01

    Astronomers and astronomy educators have significantly broadened the intended audience for their outreach activities, from the traditional venues of public schools, libraries and planetariums to national parks, coffee houses, and concert halls. At the same time, significant attention has been paid to improving the quality and relevance of professional development directed toward preservice and inservice science teachers. Many of our outreach and professional development programs have also become increasingly creative in their use of interdisciplinary connections to astronomy, such as cultural astronomy and the history of astronomy. This poster describes a specific example of interdisciplinary professional development directed at a different audience, humanities faculty and researchers, through hands-on workshops on the basic astronomical background and usage of an astrolabe conducted at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in 2013 and 2014. The goal was to explain the basic astronomy behind astrolabes (as well as their cultural relevance) to medieval scholars in history, literature, and other disciplines. The intention was to increase their comfort with manipulating and explaining astrolabes to a basic level where they could share their knowledge with their own college classes. In this way the relevance of astronomy to myriad human endeavors could be reinforced by humanities faculty within their own courses.

  6. Development and Integration of Professional Core Values Among Practicing Clinicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGinnis, Patricia Quinn; Guenther, Lee Ann; Wainwright, Susan F

    2016-09-01

    The physical therapy profession has adopted professional core values, which define expected values for its members, and developed a self-assessment tool with sample behaviors for each of the 7 core values. However, evidence related to the integration of these core values into practice is limited. The aims of this study were: (1) to gain insight into physical therapists' development of professional core values and (2) to gain insight into participants' integration of professional core values into clinical practice. A qualitative design permitted in-depth exploration of the development and integration of the American Physical Therapy Association's professional core values into physical therapist practice. Twenty practicing physical therapists were purposefully selected to explore the role of varied professional, postprofessional, and continuing education experiences related to exposure to professional values. The Core Values Self-Assessment and résumé sort served as prompts for reflection via semistructured interviews. Three themes were identified: (1) personal values were the foundation for developing professional values, which were further shaped by academic and clinical experiences, (2) core values were integrated into practice independent of practice setting and varied career paths, and (3) participants described the following professional core values as well integrated into their practice: integrity, compassion/caring, and accountability. Social responsibility was an area consistently identified as not being integrated into their practice. The Core Values Self-Assessment tool is a consensus-based document developed through a Delphi process. Future studies to establish reliability and construct validity of the tool may be warranted. Gaining an in-depth understanding of how practicing clinicians incorporate professional core values into clinical practice may shed light on the relationship between core values mastery and its impact on patient care. Findings may

  7. Providing Effective Professional Development: Lessons from the Eisenhower Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.; Desimone, Laura M.; Birman, Beatrice F.

    2003-01-01

    Reports on two studies evaluating the effectiveness of the federal government's Eisenhower Professional Development Program. Describes high quality professional development of in-service teachers, changes in teaching practice, six key practices identified in literature, and the relationship between district policies and the quality of professional…

  8. Interdisciplinary Professional Development Needs of Cooperative Extension Field Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sondgerath, Travis

    2016-01-01

    The study discussed in this article sought to identify cross-program professional development needs of county-based Extension professionals (field educators). The study instrument was completed by 105 county-based Extension professionals. Interdisciplinary topics, such as program evaluation and volunteer management, were identified as subjects of…

  9. Career development of SA professional women who take career breaks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. M. Geber

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available This article reports the findings of a study of career development and return to work of a group of professional South African women with children who work in a wide range of traditional and non traditional careers. The patterns of their career breaks and return to work are investigated alongside their activities during the break. There is a significant tendency to continue academic and professional qualifications and to embark on second careers when they return to work. The implications for Human Resource professionals are noted and factors such as mother tongue, self-employment and age at the birth of the first child that help or hinder the return to work are discussed. Opsomming In hierdie artikel word die bevindinge van'n studie gerapporteer wat gehandel het oor n groep professionele Suid-Afrikaanse vroue se loopbaanontwikkeling en hulle terugkeer na die beroepswereld na n werksonderbreking weens die geboortes van hulle kinders. Die vroue se beroepe het oor n wye reeks tradisionele en nie-tradisionele werke gestrek. Die studie het spesifiek gekonsentreer op die patroon van loopbaanonderbreking, die aktiwiteite tydens die onderbreking, asook die terugkeer na die werkplek. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat professionele vroue daartoe geneig is om hulle akademiese en professionele kwalifikasies tydens hulle werksonderbreking te verbeter en dat hulle eintlik met n tweede loopbaan begin na die hervatting van hulle werks aktiwiteite. Faktore soos huistaal, ouderdom ten tye van die geboorte van die eerste kind en self-geemplojeerdheid, is van die belangrikste determinante in die bepaling of professionele vroue weer na die beroepswereld sal terugkeer. Die menslike hulpbronbestuursimplikasies van die bevindinge word ook in die artikel uitgewys.

  10. Professional Development Seen as Employment Capital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackay, Margaret

    2017-01-01

    Practitioners need to invest in professional development to enhance credibility, job security and employment prospects. Employer expectations of continuing development as a performance measure link to the notion of career capital; namely that knowledge competence influences job advancement. This study uses an interpretivist approach to explore…

  11. Continuing education and professional development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, Edwina

    2002-01-01

    The success of a profession will be determined upon its education and training. A profession is required to encompass: a core body of knowledge; a set of ethical codes of practice; and have practitioners with humanistic qualities. In order to maintain the success of a profession it is necessary to have continuing education, which enhances professional development. Continuing professional education includes a form of self-regulation, which ensures the maintenance of a minimum standard of practice in this ever-changing workplace, and by regulating this standard, the discipline becomes more accountable to the client and the profession as a whole. In Australia, the Nuclear Medicine society's continuing education programs and Universities offering postgraduate programs promote continuing education. If technologists are to successfully keep up with developments in instrumentation, protocols and changing health care requirements, we must ensure that the education of practitioners does not cease at certification of entry to the workplace (Au)

  12. Reforming primary science assessment practices: A case study of one teacher's professional development through action research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briscoe, Carol; Wells, Elaine

    2002-05-01

    Calls for reform have suggested that classroom practice can best be changed by teachers who engage in their own research. This interpretive study examines the process of action research and how it contributes to the professional development of a first-grade teacher. The purpose of the study was to explore the research process experienced by the teacher as she examined whether portfolios could be used as an effective means for facilitating and assessing young children's development of science process skills. Data sources included a journal kept by the teacher, documents produced by the teacher and students as part of the portfolio implementation process, hand-written records of teacher's informal interviews with students, and anecdotal records from research team meetings during the study. Data analysis was designed to explore how the teacher's classroom practices and thinking evolved as she engaged in action research and attempted to solve the problems associated with deciding what to assess and how to implement portfolio assessment. We also examined the factors that supported the teacher's learning and change as she progressed through the research process. Data are presented in the form of four assertions that clarify how the action research process was influenced by various personal and contextual factors. Implications address factors that facilitated the teacher as researcher, and how this research project, initiated by the teacher, affected her professional development and professional life.

  13. Standards for Reporting Mathematics Professional Development in Research Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sztajn, Paola

    2011-01-01

    This Research Commentary addresses the need for standards for describing mathematics professional development in mathematics education research reports. Considering that mathematics professional development is an emerging research field, it is timely to set expectations for what constitutes high-quality reporting in this field. (Contains 2 tables.)

  14. How we developed a role-based portfolio for teachers' professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pyörälä, Eeva

    2014-09-01

    Faculty development requires practical tools for supporting teachers' professional development. In a modern medical education context, teachers need to adapt to various educational roles. This article describes how a role-based portfolio with a qualitative self-assessment scale was developed. It strives to encourage and support teachers' growth in different educational roles. The portfolio was developed between 2009 and 2012 at the University of Helsinki in dialogue with teachers involved in faculty development. It is based on the role framework presented by Harden and Crosby. Today, it also involves the educational premises of constructive alignment, reflection and a scholarly approach to teaching. The role-based portfolio has led the teachers to discover new educational roles and set goals in their professional development.

  15. [Higher professional education as a means for development in nursing].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberdi Castell, R

    2000-02-01

    The author reflects on how higher training contributes to development in Nursing, understanding by this term the discipline but also the set of professionals which exercise it. Therefore, the author analyzes those elements which are part of professional development; be this intrinsic, professional discourse, excellent professional exercise, market dominance, syndical capacity or representation. The author ends her article with a very simple proposal: make a world full of care, with a recognition of successes, a correction of errors and a deepening of attitudes.

  16. Chemistry teacher professional development using the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Chemistry teacher professional development using the technological pedagogical content knowledge(TPACK) framework. ... But with the advent of modern technologies, information and communication ... [AJCE 4(3), Special Issue, May 2014] ...

  17. Accountability or Authenticity? The Alignment of Professional Development and Teacher Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yahui; Feng, Liyia; Hsu, Chang-Hui

    2017-01-01

    The alignment of professional development and teacher evaluation has been a growing concern in teacher professional development practices. The issue of how teacher evaluation can help authentic professional development is important in that teachers only learn what is real, useful and valuable to them. Based on our reflections on current…

  18. Professionalism, Portfolios and the Development of School Leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wildy, Helen; Wallace, John

    1998-01-01

    Describes how two reforms--portfolio culture and teacher professionalism--converge in a systemwide program for school leaders' professional development. Investigates use of portfolios to help (Australian) principals, deputy principals, and department heads improve their performance and accountability. Participants used portfolios as evidence of…

  19. Enabling adaptive system leadership: teachers leading professional development

    OpenAIRE

    Boylan, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Internationally, there is increasing emphasis on teacher leadership of professional development. This provides opportunities for teachers to initiate and facilitate professional learning activities beyond their own schools. There is a need for theoretical tools to analyse their leadership activity and how to support it. Constructs from complexity leadership theory and the concept of teacher system leadership are used to develop a framework to analyse the purposes and practices of teacher prof...

  20. Assessing the professional development needs of public health educators in light of changing competencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demers, Anne Roesler; Mamary, Edward

    2008-10-01

    Because of the need for a well-trained public health workforce, professional competencies have been recently revised by the Institute of Medicine and the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project. This study compared the self-identified training needs of public health educators with the updated competencies and assessed employer support for continuing education. A convenience sample of public health educators was recruited from an e-mail list of San Jose State University master of public health alumni. Respondents completed a Web-based survey that elicited information on emerging trends in public health education, training needs, and employer support for continuing education. Concerns about funding cuts and privatization of resources emerged as a theme. Key trends reported were an increase in information technology, the need for policy advocacy skills, and the importance of a lifespan approach to health issues. Primary areas for training were organization development, evaluation, and management. Although most employers were reported to support continuing education, less than two-thirds of respondents were reimbursed for expenses. These findings have implications for both research and practice. Innovative technologies should be developed to address health education professionals' training needs, and emerging themes should be incorporated into curricula for students.

  1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTIVE POSITION OF MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ol'ga L. Zadvornaya

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problem of development of professional-subjective position of managerial staff of health care in the system of continuous professional education in the conditions of optimization of activities of the health system. Professional and subject position reflects the position of individual managers in a professional environment, its relationship to the quality of professional activity, to himself, to patients and colleagues to level their skills.Purpose/objectives: analysis of core competencies, forming the professional and subject position of heads of medical organizations; identify possible ways of development of professional-subjective position of managerial staff of the public health based on the use of modern technologies and active methods of training in system of continuous professional education. Methodology. In conducting the present study used data from official sources, literature review, scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, comparative analysis and modeling. The results of the study indicate the necessity of actualization of the subject position of heads of medical organizations. Conclusions /Significance. The necessity of formation and development of professional subjective position of the heads due to the needs of society and the health care system with modern requirements for quality management training of health. Professional and subject position is a characteristic feature of a highly qualified specialist in the area of governance, reflecting its active attitude toward self and professional activity, factor of efficiency of activity of medical organizations. The real practice of activity of medical organizations requires improved approaches in the preparation of healthcare managers. Most of the leaders are having difficulties, associated not only with necessity of development of universal and professional competences, but also the necessity of development of professional-subjective position

  2. Delivering Online Professional Development in Mathematics to Rural Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Jo; Rearden, Kristin

    2009-01-01

    Rural school districts struggle to attract, retain, and support highly qualified mathematics teachers. A series of four online professional development courses in the form of integrated mathematics content and pedagogy courses was designed to meet the professional development needs of rural middle school mathematics teachers. Changes in teachers'…

  3. Adoption, adaptation, and abandonment: Appropriation of science education professional development learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longhurst, Max L.

    Understanding factors that impact teacher utilization of learning from professional development is critical in order maximize the educational and financial investment in teacher professional learning. This study used a multicase mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology to investigate the factors that influence teacher adoption, adaption, or abandonment of learning from science teacher professional development. The theoretical framework of activity theory was identified as a useful way to investigate the phenomenon of teacher appropriation of pedagogical practices from professional development. This framework has the capacity to account for a multitude of elements in the context of a learning experience. In this study educational appropriation is understood through a continuum of how an educator acquires and implements both practical and conceptual aspects of learning from professional development within localized context. The variability associated with instructional changes made from professional development drives this inquiry to search for better understandings of the appropriation of pedagogical practices. Purposeful sampling was used to identify two participants from a group of eighth-grade science teachers engaged in professional development designed to investigate how cyber-enabled technologies might enhance instruction and learning in integrated science classrooms. The data from this investigation add to the literature of appropriation of instructional practices by connecting eight factors that influence conceptual and practical tools with the development of ownership of pedagogical practices in the appropriation hierarchy. Recommendations are shared with professional development developers, providers, and participants in anticipation that future science teaching experiences might be informed by findings from this study.

  4. Forming the Professional Self: Bildung and the Ontological Perspective on Professional Education and Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fellenz, Martin R.

    2016-01-01

    Ontological perspectives in higher education and particularly in professional education and development have focused attention on the question of the learner's being and becoming rather than on the epistemological concern of what and how they know. This study considers the formation of the professional self in the light of the requirements for…

  5. Implementation of a professional portfolio: a tool to demonstrate professional development for advanced practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamblee, Tracy B; Dale, Juanita Conkin; Drews, Barbie; Spahis, Joanna; Hardin, Teri

    2015-01-01

    The literature has a gap related to professional development for APRNs. In the United States, many health care organizations use clinical advancement programs for registered nurses, but APRNs are not often included in these programs. If APRNs are included, advancement opportunities are very limited. At CMC, implementation of a professional portfolio resulted in increased satisfaction among APPs regarding their ability to showcase professional growth and expertise, as well as the uniqueness of their advanced practice. Use of the professional portfolio led to improved recognition by APS and organizational leaders of APP performance excellence during the annual performance evaluation, as well as improved recognition among APP colleagues in terms of nominations for honors and awards.

  6. Professional Development on a Budget: Facilitating Learning Opportunities for Information Literacy Instructors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Shamchuk

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available How do you stay on top of evolving trends and changes to information literacy delivery, especially while coping with shrinking professional development allocations? This article details various in-house, professional development opportunities created for MacEwan University’s library staff. Low-cost, practical ideas are given to help jump-start a library's information literacy professional development offerings. Included are details about organizing an Information Literacy Community, internal Library Professional Development Days and an information literacy event open to local library professionals.

  7. Professional Development Needs of English Language Teachers in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khandehroo, Koroush; Mukundan, Jayakaran; Alavi, Zhinoos Kamal

    2011-01-01

    This study surveyed the professional development (PD) needs of school English language teachers at Melaka State in Malaysia. With close cooperation with the Department of Language at the Ministry of Education, the whole population of English language teachers had been studied on their types of professional development needs in instructional…

  8. Facilitating Professional Development for Teachers of English Language Learners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molle, Daniella

    2013-01-01

    The study explores the process of facilitation in professional development for educators. The study relies on discourse analysis of interaction among K-12 teachers and administrators in a Midwestern U.S. state during a semester-long professional development program especially designed for educators working with English language learners (ELLs).…

  9. Professional development and exposure to geriatrics: medical student perspectives from narrative journals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shield, Renée R; Farrell, Timothy W; Campbell, Susan E; Nanda, Aman; Wetle, Terrie

    2015-01-01

    Teaching professionalism is an important goal in American medical education. With the aging of the U.S. population, it is critical to understand how medical students develop professional behaviors when caring for older adults. Exposure to geriatrics and older patients can enhance students' professional development with patients of all ages and across different specialties. Medical students learn explicit and implicit messages during their education. In addition to helping to evaluate curricula, reflective journaling encourages individual development and helps in revealing how medical students become professionals. In this study, medical student volunteers described their responses to new geriatrics content in their curriculum, encounters with older patients in clinical settings, and their evolving physician identities. Multidisciplinary team analysis elicited 10 themes regarding: evaluation of geriatrics within the curriculum, recognition of geriatrics principles, and attitudes regarding aging and professional development over time. This article focuses on the impact of geriatrics exposure on students' professional development, revealing ways that students think about professionalism and older patients. Medical educators should consider journaling to help foster and gauge students' professional development.

  10. Factor Analysis of Teacher Professional Development in Chinese Military Medical Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Juan-Juan; Chen, Gang; Wang, Zhen-Wei; Liu, Wei-Dong

    2017-01-01

    Background and purpose: Teacher professional development potentially enhances teachers' professional morale, knowledge, skills and autonomy, which helps improve the quality of education. The military medical university is an important medical education institution in China; however, studies of teacher professional development within military…

  11. Governing Teachers by Professional Development: State Programmes for Continuing Professional Development in Sweden since 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsten, Nils; Wermke, Wieland

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this article was to analyse how teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) contributes to the government of the teaching profession. This is done by examining the CPD initiatives organized by two Swedish national educational agencies since 1991 involving the school subjects of Swedish (standard language education) and…

  12. The development of the Professional Values Model in Nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Ayla; Boz, İlkay

    2017-01-01

    One of the most important criteria for professionalism is accumulation of knowledge that is usable in professional practice. Nursing models and theories are important elements of accumulating nursing knowledge and have a chance to guarantee the ethical professional practice. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of models in nursing research and newly created terminology has started to be used in nursing. In this study, a new model, termed as the Professional Values Model, developed by the authors was described. Concepts comprising the conceptual framework of the model and relations between the concepts were explained. It is assumed that awareness about concepts of the model will increase not only the patients' satisfaction with nursing care, but also the nurses' job satisfaction and quality of nursing care. Contemporary literature has been reviewed and synthesized to develop this theoretical paper on the Professional Values Model in nursing. Having high values in nursing increases job satisfaction, which results in the improvement of patient care and satisfaction. Also, individual characteristics are effective in the determination of individual needs, priorities, and values. This relation, proved through research about the Professional Values Model, has been explained. With development of these concepts, individuals' satisfaction with care and nurses' job satisfaction will be enhanced, which will increase the quality of nursing care. Most importantly, nurses can take proper decisions about ethical dilemmas and take ethical action when they take these values into consideration when giving care. The Professional Values Model seems suitable for nurse managers and it is expected that testing will improve it. Implementation of the Professional Values Model by nurse managers may increase motivation of nurses they work with. It is suggested that guidance by the Professional Values Model may help in enhancement of motivation efforts of the nurse managers

  13. Enabling Adaptive System Leadership: Teachers Leading Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boylan, Mark

    2018-01-01

    Internationally, there is increasing emphasis on teacher leadership of professional development. This provides opportunities for teachers to initiate and facilitate professional learning activities beyond their own schools. There is a need for theoretical tools to analyse their leadership activity and how to support it. Constructs from complexity…

  14. Developing Professional “Game Teacher” Repertoires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lieberoth, Andreas; Hanghøj, Thorkild

    2017-01-01

    for in their professional careers. We expand and explain these findings using embedded mixed methods analysis, and conclude that games are a good practical case for training various teaching competences, but that building flexible professional repertoires requires more varied experiences than a single course can muster.......The first Danish Game-Based Learning course offered by a teachers college enrolled 42 students with a variety of backgrounds and interests in games. We characterize the students who enrolled in the course in terms of gaming literacies and preferences, and gauge the impact of the course in terms...... of building actionable skill sets. Following Schön (1986) we use these data to frame students’ transition from gamers or game curious teachers to developing professional repertoires.Interviews and statistical comparison to other students indicate that while student’s existing preferences for the “heavier...

  15. Young Adult Literature and Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bach, Jacqueline; Choate, Laura Hensley; Parker, Bruce

    2011-01-01

    As the body of high quality young adult literature (YAL) continues to grow, what role might these texts play in professional development for educators? This article describes ways in which schools can develop book study programs that use this literature to promote meaningful dialogue and understanding of contemporary adolescent issues. Based on…

  16. A Discussion of Professional Identity Development in Nursing Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cathy Maginnis

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Becoming a nurse requires development of professional capabilities, specifically socialisation into the profession and developing a professional identity (PI. A search of the literature highlights a lack of empirical research in PI development during pre-registration nursing education. A range of factors will be explored that relate to PI, including identity, professional socialisation, a sense of belonging to the profession and clinical placement. Exploring the development of a PI in nursing students can assist with identifying drivers and inhibitors. The aim of this paper is to describe PI development in pre-registration nursing students’ education and the relationship between development of a PI and the tertiary provided education. There are a multitude of factors that impact on developing a PI such as identity, professional socialisation, belonging, clinical placements and educators. Nursing students predominantly develop a nursing PI in the pre-registration program with professional socialisation through exposure to academia, clinical practice and role models. The onus of responsibility for developing a PI in nursing students is attributed to educational institutions. An expected outcome of the pre-registration program is that nursing students will have formed a PI. A greater depth of understanding PI is important in supporting the education of the nurses of the future. There may not be one simple explanation for what PI is, or how it is developed, but a greater depth of understanding of PI by both the tertiary sector and the nursing profession is important in supporting the education of the nurses of the future. Further research will enable a dialogue describing the development of a PI in nursing students and an understanding of the attributes and conceptions attributed to a nursing PI.

  17. Exploring English-Language Teachers' Professional Development in Developing Countries: Cases from Syria and Pakistan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dayoub, Ruba; Bashiruddin, Ayesha

    2012-01-01

    This paper attempts to present the findings of a study carried out in Pakistan that explored English-language teachers' professional development in developing countries. The main guiding question for the study was: How do English-language teachers at secondary schools learn to teach and develop professionally in Syria and Pakistan? Two cases were…

  18. From Novice to Seasoned Practitioner: a Qualitative Investigation of Genetic Counselor Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahm, Kimberly Wehner; Veach, Patricia McCarthy; Martyr, Meredith A; LeRoy, Bonnie S

    2016-08-01

    Research on genetic counselor professional development would characterize typical developmental processes, inform training and supervision, and promote life-long development opportunities. To date, however no studies have comprehensively examined this phenomenon. The aims of this study were to investigate the nature of professional development for genetic counselors (processes, influences, and outcomes) and whether professional development varies across experience levels. Thirty-four genetic counselors participated in semi-structured telephone interviews exploring their perspectives on their professional development. Participants were sampled from three levels of post-degree genetic counseling experience: novice (0-5 years), experienced (6-14 years), and seasoned (>15 years). Using modified Consensual Qualitative Research and grounded theory methods, themes, domains, and categories were extracted from the data. The themes reflect genetic counselors' evolving perceptions of their professional development and its relationship to: (a) being a clinician, (b) their professional identity, and (c) the field itself. Across experience levels, prevalent influences on professional development were interpersonal (e.g., experiences with patients, genetic counseling colleagues) and involved professional and personal life events. Common developmental experiences included greater confidence and less anxiety over time, being less information-driven and more emotion-focused with patients, delivering "bad news" to patients remains challenging, and individuals' professional development experiences parallel genetic counseling's development as a field. With a few noteworthy exceptions, professional development was similar across experience levels. A preliminary model of genetic counselor professional development is proposed suggesting development occurs in a non-linear fashion throughout the professional lifespan. Each component of the model mutually influences the others, and there

  19. Novel demands on the professionals – how internationalization may be a path to support the development of professional reflectivity and professional imagination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eriksen, Kathrine Krageskov

    Currently new demands on the (health) professionals may be identified following massive changes to both their work and societal role. Increased use of technological solutions including tele-medicine and ambient assisted living technology; a strengthened focus on inter-professional and cross-secto...... and teachers with possibilities to experience different approaches across countries to both education and the professional practice – and internationalization of education may hence be perceived as a “short-cut” for stimulating especially the development of professional imagination....

  20. MOOCs for Teacher Professional Development: Reflections and Suggested Actions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pradeep Kumar Misra

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Teacher Professional Development (TPD has become a major policy priority within education systems worldwide. But keeping teachers professionally up-to-date and providing them professional development opportunities on continuing basis is a big challenge. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs can be a cost and resource effective means to complement the traditional methods of professional development of teachers. This optimism is based on the assumption that use of MOOCs will facilitate mass training of teachers as per their convenience and ease. The other assumption is that being MOOCs-based training, it will be easy to adapt it to different cultures and languages. Considering these assumptions, this concept paper which is based on reviews of different reports, documents and research papers - discusses the challenges of TPD, reflects upon promises of using MOOCs for TPD; details initiatives and experiences of using MOOCs for TPD; and suggests actions for promoting the use of MOOCs for TPD.

  1. Using communication technology to support professional development in teaching science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundberg, Cheryl White

    The impact of collaboration via communication technology on follow-up to on-site professional development was the central focus of this hypothesis-generating study. The study used a combination of quantitative methodology and qualitative methodology. A convenient sample of 18 teachers was drawn from 208 teachers in an existing professional development program in science in a southeastern state. The statewide professional development program focused on energy education with a strong emphasis on using technology to enhance learning. Data sources included E-mail messages, lesson plans, photographs, workshop evaluations, surveys, and the report of an external reviewer. The study focused on two on-site workshops, February and June 2000 that were designed to model constructivist pedagogy and instruct teachers in effective utilization of computer-based laboratories in science classrooms. Follow-up to the on-site workshops was facilitated with several communication technologies (Internet, E-mail, telephone, and mail). The research found E-mail was the preferred mode for follow-up to on-site workshops because of the convenience of the medium. Barriers to effective distance professional development were time constraints, equipment failure, and lack of consistent Internet access to teachers in rural and under-served areas. Teacher characteristics of the sample, teacher efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy did not appear to impact the use of communication technologies as a means of follow-up to on-site professional development workshops. However, teacher efficacy might have negatively impacted effective implementation of calculator-based laboratory technology in the classroom. The study found E-mail was the most convenient and efficient way to facilitate follow-up to on-site professional development. Teacher characteristics (efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy) did not appear to impact the use of E-mail to facilitate

  2. Understanding bereavement, grief, and mourning: implications for donation and transplant professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corr, Charles A; Coolican, Margaret B

    2010-06-01

    This article surveys recent literature on bereavement, grief, and mourning. It offers a review of the state of the art of current understandings of those topics to assist professionals who work in the field of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. The article's goal is to provide well-developed and up-to-date education and knowledge about bereavement, grief, and mourning to supplement the natural skills and experience of donation and transplant professionals in their work with bereaved persons.

  3. Peer Observation as a Means to Develop Teachers’ Professionalism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tosriadi -

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The emergence of reflective practice in promoting teacher professional development has been discussed in many literatures. Research studies showed the benefits of conducting reflective practice to improve teachers’ classroom instruction. Peer observation as one of the reflective practice activities is viewed as an effective strategy in developing teachers’ pedagogy and professional competences. Peer observation refers to the act of teachers collaborate to identify the strength and the weakness of their teachings. By doing so, it is expected there will be improvement in learning outcomes. This study explored EFL teachers’ perceptions on peer observation as means to develop teachers’ professionalism. Two EFL teachers who worked as English teachers were purposively selected as the respondents of the study. The participating teachers got at least 1 year teaching experience to assure their involvement in peer observation. To meet the objectives of the study, the data were gained through classroom observation, and followed by in depth interview. Then, they were analyzed by using interactive model data analysis for qualitative study. The results of the study indicated teachers’ positive perceptions on peer observation as professional development tool. Peer observation brought some benefits for teachers. It helped teachers solve the problems they found in their teachings, instead it also could be used as learning opportunity by observing new teaching method/strategy from other colleagues. Key words: reflective practice; peer observation; classroom instruction; professional development tool

  4. Developing a Professional Learning Community among Preservice Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bond, Nathan

    2013-01-01

    This action research study examined the development of a professional learning community (PLC) among 20 preservice secondary teachers as they met regularly during a semester-long, field-based education course to share artifacts of learning from their professional portfolios. The PLC model described by Hord and Tobia (2012) served as a framework…

  5. Fostering values: four stages towards developing professional ethics for future accountants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Othman Zaleha

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The many accounting scandals occurred in the last three decades have change the perspective of accountant globally. As such, the higher institutions have to play their role in nurturing professional ethics in order to change the misconception towards the profession. Our observation of the literature indicates that incorporating professional ethics in higher institutions is a way forward towards developing future accountants with values. Henceforth, we conducted a generic inquiry study to explore how higher institutions could inculcate accounting graduates with professional ethics. Our findings show a conceptual framework which depicted four stages towards incorporating professional ethics at tertiary level education there are: 1 value development, 2 ethics maturation, 3 professionalism development and 4 ownership through effective implementation and enforcement. Consequently, the findings contribute to expanding the current knowledge in our conceptualisation of the professional ethics concept. In addition, the findings support the development of ethics education for accounting graduates in higher institutions in Malaysia. We consider that this study provides evidence to educators and policy makers that teaching methods and pedagogical policies should ensure professional ethics education in business schools in Malaysia is treated as a pervasive element of curricula rather than an optional choice.

  6. Transition-Focused Professional Development: An Annotated Bibliography of Essential Elements and Features of Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzberg, Debra G.; Clark, Kelly A.; Morningstar, Mary E.

    2018-01-01

    Transition professional development (PD) has been identified as a way to improve transition services; however, there is a dearth of literature on transition-focused PD. To learn more about the essential features of effective PD, 73 published articles were evaluated in the area of PD in both secondary transition and special education. Articles were…

  7. More than "Continuing Professional Development": A Proposed New Learning Framework for Professional Accountants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsay, Hilary

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores literature relating to continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning to develop an understanding of how the learning landscape has evolved in recent years, both in the accountancy profession and more widely. Three different perspectives on learning are drawn together and this synthesis is used to develop a…

  8. Does Professional Development Change Teaching Practice? Results from a Three-Year Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.; Desimone, Laura; Yoon, Kwang Suk; Birman, Beatrice F.

    This report, the third in a series of reports from the longitudinal evaluation of the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, examines the effects of professional development on improving classroom teaching practice. The Eisenhower Professional Development Program, Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is the federal…

  9. Professional masters in science education: structure, specificity, effectivity and teaching professional development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Villani

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Historically teacher education constituted an important object of study and actions in the field of Science education. Between these actions, the professional masters (PM in Science education represent one of the most challenging and broader movements in teacher training up to this moment. However, the literature in the field is still rare and dispersed. Considering the complexity of this project and its singularity as a case of teacher training, due to its standard orientations, its large volume of people and institutions involved, it is important and necessary to produce a wider view of this initiative that has a history of 15 years and was characterized by many disagreements and changes. One of the possibilities to produce this wider view is through a state of art that organize and analyse the actual production in this field. In order to monitor these contributions we conducted a study such as “State of Art” based on the meta analysis guidance, thus, though a critical analysis we faced the challenge to discuss the scientific production on this theme. Therefore, we searched in all journals of education and science education, evaluated as A1 to B4 at Qualis/Capes published from 2000 to 2015, for articles published on this theme and selected 26 to analyse. Based on the empirical analysis of this corpus two categories were defined a-posteriori, representing the main themes whereupon the articles aimed to contribute: the wider nature of PM courses – structure, specificity and efectivity; and the Professional Master in Science Teaching (PMST and the professional development. The first category allowed us to identify the characteristics of the PM courses based on their curricular structure, faculty and educational projects. We highlight the fact that, since its creation, the PMST carry controversies about its singular characteristics. The opposition between its goals and the academic master in science teaching are constantly being used to find

  10. Developing Professional Identity in an Online Learning Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horn, Line Helverskov

    2015-01-01

    identity as the outcome for the intern. This paper describes the interactions in an online learning environment. The online platform sought to enable peer interaction between younger and older students in a discussion of the professional identity of Natural and Cultural Heritage Management (NCHM......From a socio-cultural perspective, the development of a professional identity is an on-going process that is social in nature and negotiated in communities of practice (Wenger, 1998). Internships in higher education function as such communities of practice, with an improved sense of professional...

  11. Meeting the Demands of Science Reforms: A Comprehensive Professional Development for Practicing Middle School Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pringle, Rose M.; Mesa, Jennifer; Hayes, Lynda

    2018-03-01

    Preparing teachers to teach science consistent with current reforms in science education is a daunting enterprise given a lack of high-quality science professional development (PD) adaptable across various contexts (Wilson 2013). This study examines the impact of a comprehensive professional development program on middle school teachers' disciplinary content knowledge and instructional practices. In this mixed methods investigation, data sources included classroom observations, content knowledge assessments, surveys, and a range of interviews. The teachers in the program showed significant improvements in their disciplinary content knowledge and demonstrated through their enactment of a reform-based curriculum, a range of ability levels to translate their knowledge into instructional practices consistent with the principles espoused in the PD. We conclude that programs that attend to elements of effective PD identified in the literature can positively impact middle school science teachers' enactment of reform-based science teaching. Our findings extend these elements to include the strategic engagement of school and district leadership and the provision of a safe learning space for teachers to collectively engage in reciprocal learning and critical practice. This study has worldwide implications for designing PD for science teachers and for extending our understanding of the impact of each element.

  12. Professional SharePoint 2010 Development

    CERN Document Server

    Rizzo, Tom; Fried, Jeff

    2010-01-01

    Learn to leverage the features of the newest version of SharePoint, in this update to the bestseller. More than simply a portal, SharePoint is Microsoft's popular content management solution for building intranets and Web sites or hosting wikis and blogs. Offering broad coverage on all aspects of development for the SharePoint platform, this comprehensive book shows you exactly what SharePoint does, how to build solutions, and what features are accessible within SharePoint. Written by one of the most recognized names in SharePoint development, Professional SharePoint 2010 Development offers an

  13. A Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network: The role of formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooke-Nieves, Natasha Anika

    Science education research has consistently shown that elementary teachers have a low self-efficacy and background knowledge to teach science. When they teach science, there is a lack of field experiences and inquiry-based instruction at the elementary level due to limited resources, both material and pedagogical. This study focused on an analysis of a professional development (PD) model designed by the author known as the Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network (CDLN). The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school teacher participants pedagogical content knowledge related to their experiences in a CDLN model. The CDLN model taught formal and informal instruction using a science coach and an informal educational institution. Another purpose for this research included a theoretical analysis of the CDLN model to see if its design enabled teachers to expand their resource knowledge of available science education materials. The four-month-long study used qualitative data obtained during an in-service professional development program facilitated by a science coach and educators from a large natural history museum. Using case study as the research design, four elementary school teachers were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their science coach and museum educator workshop sessions. During the duration of this study, semi-structured individual/group interviews and open-ended pre/post PD questionnaires were used. Other data sources included researcher field notes from lesson observations, museum field trips, audio-recorded workshop sessions, email correspondence, and teacher-created artifacts. The data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged included increased self-efficacy; increased pedagogical content knowledge; increased knowledge of museum education resources and access; creation of a professional learning community; and increased knowledge of science notebooking. Implications for formal and informal

  14. Professional Training of Social Workers: Development of Professionally Significant Qualities in the Future Social Workers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minzhanov, Nurlan A.; Ertysbaeva, Gaukhar N.; Abdakimova, Madina K.; Ishanov, Pirmagambet Z.

    2016-01-01

    Today, the traditional approach to professional training is obsolete. This problem has determined the need to create new didactic forms related to the organization of training in the modern education system. The purpose of this study was to analyze possible development of professionally important qualities and abilities in the future social care…

  15. Investigating Climate Science Misconceptions Using a Teacher Professional Development Workshop Registration Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynds, S. E.; Gold, A. U.; McNeal, K.; Libarkin, J. C.; Buhr Sullivan, S. M.; Ledley, T. S.; Haddad, N.; Ellins, K. K.

    2013-12-01

    to address attendee's knowledge levels. In addition, the pre-test/post-test design allowed evaluators to investigate changes in participant understanding in a way more robust than self-reported learning. In this presentation, we will address the findings from these analyses and discuss implications for addressing misconceptions in teacher professional development.

  16. Modern Trends of Additional Professional Education Development for Mineral Resource Extracting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borisova, Olga; Frolova, Victoria; Merzlikina, Elena

    2017-11-01

    The article contains the results of development of additional professional education research, including the field of mineral resource extracting in Russia. The paper describes the levels of education received in Russian Federation and determines the place and role of additional professional education among them. Key factors influencing the development of additional professional education are identified. As a result of the research, the authors proved the necessity of introducing additional professional education programs on educational Internet platforms for mineral resource extracting.

  17. Professional development and extension programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bereznai, G. [University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON (Canada)

    2015-07-01

    Professional Development (PD) refers to the means by which people acquire, develop, maintain and enhance the specialist knowledge and skills needed to practice in their profession. Extension Programs (aka Continuing Education) are offered by most post-secondary degree/diploma/certificate granting institutions.The courses are typically taken on a part-time basis, and course delivery often includes distance learning technology. An important implementation of PD is via workplace training, industry specific seminars, workshops and non-credit courses offered by a wide range of service providers.

  18. Professional development and extension programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bereznai, G.

    2015-01-01

    Professional Development (PD) refers to the means by which people acquire, develop, maintain and enhance the specialist knowledge and skills needed to practice in their profession. Extension Programs (aka Continuing Education) are offered by most post-secondary degree/diploma/certificate granting institutions.The courses are typically taken on a part-time basis, and course delivery often includes distance learning technology. An important implementation of PD is via workplace training, industry specific seminars, workshops and non-credit courses offered by a wide range of service providers.

  19. Global perspective on continuing professional development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lawrence T. Sherman

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Healthcare professionals worldwide participate in continuing professional development (CPD to remain competent in practice, and to ensure they provide high-quality care to patients. Globally, CPD systems have evolved at different rates resulting in significant variation in structure, requirements, and oversight. In some countries, CPD has moved from single profession educational designs and formal didactic methods of delivery to educational models that are innovative, dynamic, and learnercentric. In other countries, CPD is a neglected part of the healthcare education continuum. This article provides a global perspective on the evolution of CPD over the past 20 years, and identifies opportunities for the future.

  20. Integrating Professional Development across the Curriculum: An Effectiveness Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciarocco, Natalie J.; Dinella, Lisa M.; Hatchard, Christine J.; Valosin, Jayde

    2016-01-01

    The current study empirically tested the effectiveness of a modular approach to integrating professional development across an undergraduate psychology curriculum. Researchers conducted a two-group, between-subjects experiment on 269 undergraduate psychology students assessing perceptions of professional preparedness and learning. Analysis…

  1. Professional Identity Development: A Review of the Higher Education Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trede, Franziska; Macklin, Rob; Bridges, Donna

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the extant higher education literature on the development of professional identities. Through a systematic review approach 20 articles were identified that discussed in some way professional identity development in higher education journals. These articles drew on varied theories, pedagogies and learning strategies; however,…

  2. Professional Development for Rural and Remote Teachers Using Video Conferencing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maher, Damian; Prescott, Anne

    2017-01-01

    Teachers in rural and remote schools face many challenges including those relating to distance, isolation and lack of professional development opportunities. This article examines a project where mathematics and science teachers were provided with professional development opportunities via video conferencing to help them use syllabus documents to…

  3. Implementing a Process to Measure Return on Investment for Nursing Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrison, Elisabeth; Beverage, Jodie

    Return on investment (ROI) is one way to quantify the value that nursing professional development brings to the organization. This article describes a process to begin tracking ROI for nursing professional development. Implementing a process of tracking nursing professional development practitioners' ROI increased awareness of the financial impact and effectiveness of the department.

  4. A Study of the Impact of Transformative Professional Development on Hispanic Student Performance on State Mandated Assessments of Science in Elementary School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Carla C.; Fargo, Jamison D.

    2014-11-01

    This paper reports the findings of a study of the impact of the transformative professional development (TPD) model on student achievement on state-mandated assessments of science in elementary school. Two schools (one intervention and one control) participated in the case study where teachers from one school received the TPD intervention across a 2-year period while teachers at the other school received no program and continued business as usual. The TPD program includes a focus on the core conceptual framework for effective professional development (Desimone in Educ Res 38:181-199, 2009) as well as an emphasis on culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and other effective science instructional strategies. Findings revealed that participation in TPD had a significant impact on student achievement for Burns Elementary with the percentage of proficient students growing from 25 % at baseline to 67 % at the end of the 2-year program, while the comparison school did not experience similar growth. Implications for future research and implementation of professional development programs to meet the needs of teachers in the realm of CRP in science are discussed.

  5. Continuous professional development of educators: the state ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for educators should form an integral part of an education system. CPD should include diverse programmes that are reflective and that promote and embrace technological development. Such programmes would make it possible to respond to challenges brought about by ...

  6. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN IT INDUSTRY: STATUS AND CHALLENGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    А О Полушкина

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Article is devoted to features professional development in the IT industry and professionals. The article discusses the spectrum of areas related to information technology, development, sales and implementation of software (hereinafter - Software, technical support, control of existing products, information security and quality control of the product and the process of implementation, information consulting with the analysis and implementation of enterprise information product.Particular attention is paid to the processes of certification, corporate training in the information technology industry. Also in the article described general problems of IT specialists during trainings.

  7. Evaluating a Graduate Professional Development Program for Informal Science Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lake, Jeremy Paul

    This study is an examination and evaluation of the outcomes of a series of courses that I helped build to create a graduate certificate. Specifically, I wanted to evaluate whether or not the online iteration of the Informal Science Institutions Environmental Education Graduate Certificate Program truly provided the long term professional development needed to enhance the skills of the formal and informal educators participating so that they could contribute meaningfully to the improvement of science literacy in their respective communities. My role as an internal evaluator provided an extraordinary opportunity to know the intent of the learning opportunities and why they were constructed in a particular fashion. Through the combination of my skills, personal experiences both within the certificate's predecessor and as an educator, I was uniquely qualified to explore the outcomes of this program and evaluate its effectiveness in providing a long-term professional development for participants. After conducting a literature review that emphasized a need for greater scientific literacy in communities across America, it was evident that the formal education enterprise needs the support of informal educators working on the ground in myriad different settings in ways that provide science as both content and process, learning science facts and doing real science. Through a bridging of informal science educators with formal teachers, it was thought each could learn the culture of the other, making each more fluent in accessing community resources to help make these educators more collaborative and able to bridge the classroom with the outside world. This bridge promotes ongoing, lifelong learning, which in turn can help the national goal of greater scientific literacy. This study provided insight into the thinking involved in the learners' growth as they converted theory presented in course materials into practice. Through an iterative process of reviewing the course

  8. All Together Now: Authentic University-School Partnerships for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawford, Patricia A.; Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth; Hickman, Rosemary

    2008-01-01

    Opportunities for professional development can benefit the practice of teaching, the learning of students, and the culture of schooling. Thus, considerable attention has been given to effective professional development programs and many reform agendas have made such initiatives a priority (No Child Left Behind, 2002; National Board for…

  9. 77 FR 6096 - Applications for New Awards; Indian Education-Professional Development Grants Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Applications for New Awards; Indian Education--Professional Development...: Notice. Overview Information: Indian Education--Professional Development Grants Program Notice inviting... Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Indian Education Professional Development...

  10. Promoting professional development through poster presentations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durkin, Gregory

    2011-01-01

    Poster presentations are commonplace at regional and national nursing conferences, although the development of a poster remains an intimidating task for many staff nurses. The author describes the staff development department's role in implementing in-house poster presentation sessions. Nursing staff are provided support and assistance in presenting posters to their colleagues at yearly sessions. The result has been increased comfort and experience with poster creation, participation in professional development activities, and dissemination of nursing practice innovation.

  11. Team-Based Professional Development Interventions in Higher Education : A Systematic Review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gast, Inken; Schildkamp, Kim; van der Veen, Jan T.

    Most professional development activities focus on individual teachers, such as mentoring or the use of portfolios. However, new developments in higher education require teachers to work together in teams more often. Due to these changes, there is a growing need for professional development

  12. IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT AGE AND GENDER CHARACTERISTICS PROFESSIONAL PERSON

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avdeyeva Irina Olegovna

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In article some questions mentioning gender and age features of the identity of municipal employees, working in the social sphere and their influence on professionalism development are considered. Diagnostics of professional and important qualities and features of experts, their moral and regulatory sphere, adaptation potential and a motivational complex on means of application of the following diagnostic techniques is carried out: R. Kettell's 16 factorial questionnaire (16-PF, a form C, "Valuable orientations" M. Rokich, a multilevel personal questionnaire "Adaptability" (MLO-AM, a technique of studying of motivation of professional activity (K.Zemfir in A.Rean's modification. In this research the example of the multiple parameter linear model created and approved for identification and the analysis of age transformations of municipal employees, working in the social sphere is given. Conclusions are drawn on wagging of gender and age features of experts on development of professionalism of their personality.

  13. Professional Development in Environmental and Sustainability ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    explore how professional development at a tertiary institution can be used to support practising Science ... challenges related to 'the how' and 'the what' of implementation of environmental education ... teaching environmental and sustainability education, attest to this lack of capacity to implement ..... Profiles of participants.

  14. Developing Moral Responsibleness through Professional Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strom, Sharon M.; Tennyson, W. Wesley

    1989-01-01

    Argues that more attention must be given in counselor preparation and practice to developing critical reflectiveness about valued ends when making professional judgments. Describes and evaluates an instructional model designed to further students' capacities and motivations for making rational moral judgments in counseling. (Author/TE)

  15. Infusing Neuroscience into Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubinsky, Janet M.; Roehrig, Gillian; Varma, Sashank

    2013-01-01

    Bruer advocated connecting neuroscience and education indirectly through the intermediate discipline of psychology. We argue for a parallel route: The neurobiology of learning, and in particular the core concept of "plasticity," have the potential to directly transform teacher preparation and professional development, and ultimately to…

  16. Professional Development to Promote Teacher Adaptability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsons, Allison Ward; Ankrum, Julie Winneur; Morewood, Aimee

    2016-01-01

    Effective professional development (PD) follows adaptive teaching principles; it increases teacher understanding and instructional purpose, which ultimately supports and extends adaptive teaching. Through this article, we compare and contrast training models with educative models of PD (Duffy, 2004). We discuss characteristics of effective PD that…

  17. Reconsidering social science theories in natural resource management continuing professional education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stumann, Cathy Brown; Gamborg, Christian

    2014-01-01

    on the impact of these changes for NRM professionals resulted in many studies calling for NRM professionals to learn a host of new social science-related skills and knowledge. Twenty years later, research continues to show that NRM professionals are struggling to develop these ‘new’ skills and calls...... for integrating the social sciences in NRM education and practice endure. This paper discusses the challenge of integrating social science skills and knowledge into NRM public involvement practice and continuing professional education. The paper argues for a reconsideration of how social science theories relate...... to professionals’ practical theories and concludes with some implications and proposals for NRM continuing professional education....

  18. The Professional Development of High School Chemistry Coordinators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofstein, Avi; Carmeli, Miriam; Shore, Relly

    2004-02-01

    The implementation of new content and pedagogical standards in science education necessitates intensive, long-term professional development of science teachers. In this paper, we describe the rationale and structure of a comprehensive and intensive professional development program of school-based leaders, namely school chemistry coordinators. The year-long program was designed so that the chemistry teachers who enrolled in the program were able to develop in three interrelated aspects: content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and leadership ability. Several strategies for the development of these aspects were adopted from Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles (1998). The evaluation of the program focused on the changes that participating teachers underwent regarding their personal beliefs and their functioning as school chemistry coordinators in their schools.

  19. Teachers' Motivation to Learn: Implications for Supporting Professional Growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appova, Aina; Arbaugh, Fran

    2018-01-01

    In this study, we investigated teachers' motivation to learn following in the footsteps of emergent research efforts in the field. This qualitative study was grounded in the intersection of four research fields: policy, educational psychology, andragogy and professional development (PD). Findings indicate that teachers' dissatisfactions with their…

  20. Philosophy of Education Subscales: Predictors of EFL Teachers' Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashraf, Hamid; Kafi, Zahra H.

    2017-01-01

    The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between Iranian EFL, English as a foreign language, male and female instructors' philosophy of education and their professional development to see whether there is any significant relation between the type of philosophy of education that teachers hold and their professional development. It…

  1. International classroom teachers in need of professional development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Karen M.

    International classroom teachers in need of professional development: Outcomes of the IntlUni Erasmus Academic Network project 2012-15 The IntlUni Erasmus Academic Network (2012-15) has addressed the opportunities and the challenges of the multicultural (international) classroom where higher educ...... and challenges in the multilingual and multicultural learning space. Final document of the IntlUni Erasmus Academic Network project 2012-15. Aarhus: IntlUni. http://intluni.eu/uploads/media/The_opportunities_and_challenges_of_the_MMLS_Final_report_sept_2015.pdf...... and reflect on their teaching processes and negotiate the learning processes with their students as well as manage and leverage diversity in the classroom. Therefore, one of the IntlUni Recommendations is for the higher education institutions to provide the necessary professional development and teacher...... sources (e.g. Gregersen-Hermans, 2016), all pointing towards the need for more professional development and training of higher education teachers teaching multicultural student cohorts. Based on these very recent sources, the paper will discuss and offer examples of how such activities may be organized...

  2. Relational Dynamics in Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finkelstein, Carla

    2013-01-01

    Teacher professional development (PD) is considered essential to improving student achievement toward high standards. I argue that while current notions of high quality PD foreground cognitive aspects of learning, they undertheorize the influence of relational dynamics in teacher learning interactions. That is, current conceptions of high quality…

  3. Sustainable school development: professional learning communities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prof.Dr. E. Verbiest

    2008-01-01

    In this contribution we report about a project about Professional Learning Communities.This project combines development and research. In this contribution we pay attention to the effect of the organisational capacity of a school on the personal and interpersonal capacity and to the impact of a

  4. CLIL Teacher Professional Development for Content Teachers in Thailand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Punwalai Kewara

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In Thailand, the new educational policy is mandated to encourage content teachers to integrate English in content classrooms. The policy has created tensions and misconceptions among content teachers, who must change the medium of instruction from Thai to English. This paper presents an attempt to foster teacher knowledge about the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL approach in a teacher professional development program. Classroom language in English and CLIL classroom structure were provided for 15 teachers at a secondary school. Four volunteer teachers were observed to determine the extent to which teachers implemented CLIL. The findings revealed the teachers partly implemented classroom language in English and the provided CLIL structure was not evident. The contribution of this paper is to the literature of CLIL teacher professional development effectiveness and the implementation fidelity of a professional development program.

  5. Teacher participation in science fairs as professional development in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clement K. Mbowane

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This research was undertaken to understand the perceptions of the Physical Sciences teachers who participate in the South African ‘Eskom Expo for Young Scientists’, regarding the educational significance of the science fair, and the extent to which expo participation provides an opportunity for professional development. The educational significance of this article is found in its contribution to the professional identity of teachers in their roles as organisers, mentors and judges. The model of Beijaard et al. (Teach Teach Educ. 2004;20:107–128 was used to characterise the teachers’ professional identity in terms of professional knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, norms and values, as well as emotions and agency. Interviews with the Physical Sciences teachers were analysed using thematic analysis, ultimately interpreting and linking the categories of responses to the theme of professional identity. The study found that expo participation contributes to pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge (as both procedural and declarative or factual knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Self-efficacy beliefs were strengthened, positive attitudes were developed, and strategies of inquiry-based learning and effective methodological instruction were observed during participation, which contributed to the participants’ school-based teaching. Teachers learn both from their engagement with learners, and through networking opportunities with fellow teachers. Teachers themselves value these aspects, and consequently, science fair participation is a sustainable form of professional development. It is recommended that the opportunity for professional development that is provided by teachers’ participation in such school-level science fairs should be acknowledged and promoted by schools and fair organisers. Significance: Science expos offer professional development to participating teachers and improve learners’ academic performance.

  6. Professional Development Programs for Teachers of English

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singgih Widodo

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Well-planned programs based on the needs for professional development of teachers are strongly needed to enhance the teaching-staff improvement.The impact of teacher improvement will effect the students learning and school achievement. This paper aims at raising awareness of English teachers to upgrade themselves as autonomous learners as well as researchers and broaden their horizon for stepping the ladder-career of their profession. For that purpose, a survey as reported here aimed to identify the needs of individual English teachers and the preferred programs for professional development. The findings indicated that the 36 teachers involved needed teacher training, teacher association, teacher materials, continuing education, and interschool visit and that teacher training was the most well known program among teachers.

  7. Professional development needs of nurse managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miltner, Rebecca S; Jukkala, Angela; Dawson, Martha A; Patrician, Patricia A

    2015-06-01

    Nurse managers have a key role in creating positive work environments where safe, high-quality care is consistently provided. This requires a broad range of skills to be successful within today's complex health care environment; however, managers are frequently selected based on their clinical expertise and are offered little formal preparation for this leadership role. We conducted three focus groups with 20 nurse managers to understand their professional development needs. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Three themes emerged: Managing Versus Leading, Gaining a Voice, and Garnering Support. Managers focused on daily tasks, such as matching staffing to patient needs. However, the data suggested gaps in foundational management skills, such as understanding organizational behavior, use of data to make decisions, and refined problem-solving skills. Professional development activities focusing on higher level leadership competencies could assist managers to be more successful in this challenging, but critical, role. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  8. Prevalent Approaches to Professional Development in State 4-H Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Martin H.; Worker, Steven M.; Schmitt-McQuitty, Lynn; Meehan, Cheryl L.; Lewis, Kendra M.; Schoenfelder, Emily; Brian, Kelley

    2017-01-01

    High-quality 4-H programming requires effective professional development of educators. Through a mixed methods study, we explored professional development offered through state 4-H programs. Survey results revealed that both in-person and online delivery modes were used commonly for 4-H staff and adult volunteers; for teen volunteers, in-person…

  9. The Evolution from Traditional to Online Professional Development: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Joshua C.

    2017-01-01

    Online professional development offers opportunities for growth to teachers who may not be able to participate otherwise due to constraints. These constraints include, but are not limited to, time and travel distance. This document is a narrative review of relevant literature as it relates to the evolution of teacher professional development. This…

  10. Preparing culturally responsive teachers of science, technology, engineering, and math using the Geophysical Institute Framework for Professional Development in Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berry Bertram, Kathryn

    2011-12-01

    methodologies used to conduct program research, and on findings obtained. Research indicates that in both situations the GI Framework for Professional Development was effective in preparing culturally responsive STEM teachers. Implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed in the conclusion.

  11. Sexting: New Challenges for Schools and Professional School Counselors

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEachern, Adriana G.; McEachern-Ciattoni, Renee T.; Martin, Filomena

    2012-01-01

    Sexting, the practice of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs of oneself or others on digital electronic devices, presents challenges for schools and professional school counselors. The implications of sexting for schools, school counselors, students, and parents are discussed. School counselor interventions, developing school…

  12. EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION AS A FACTOR OF TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. V. Potemkinа

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Nowadays, foreign and Russian researchers state the lack of reliable tools for diagnostics of professional gaps among teachers. It is unjustified to draw conclusions about skill level of teachers, relying only on results which are shown by pupils when holding unified state examinations and monitoring tests. However, information on results of an external assessment of quality of the general education (the USE, OGE, All-Russian test works and national researches of quality of education corresponds to professional development of teachers and more rational organization of this process.The aim of the article is to consider and discuss the relationship between professional development of teachers and external assessment of the quality of general education; the search of opportunities and terms of the results use of external evaluation procedures in teacher training.Methodology and research methods. The authors analyzed the publications (available on the Internet and in periodicals to determine the relevance of the problem and compare approaches to its solution by Russian and foreign researchers. The methods involve content analysis, problem-based and comparative analysis for the diagnosis of the current practices of teachers’ professional development. The purpose of the analysis is the inclusion of education quality assessment and evaluation results in the contents of programs of professional development of teachers.Results. The created request for the profitability analysis results of an external assessment of general education quality of professional development of pedagogical staff is observed. However, the analysis of modern practice of additional professional pedagogical education showed that the preparation to prevails; certification procedure results for improvement of pedagogical activity are rarely used. The main reasons for this situation are found out: lack of the target information products for system of professional

  13. Epistemology, development, and integrity in a science education professional development program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hancock, Elizabeth St. Petery

    This research involved interpretive inquiry to understand changes in the notion of "self" as expressed by teachers recently enrolled as graduate students in an advanced degree program in science education at Florida State University. Teachers work in a context that integrates behavior, social structure, culture, and intention. Within this context, this study focused on the intentional realm that involves interior understandings, including self-epistemology, professional self-identity, and integrity. Scholarship in adult and teacher development, especially ways of knowing theory, guided my efforts to understand change in these notions of self. The five participants in this study were interviewed in depth to explore their "self"-related understandings in detail. The other primary data sources were portfolios and work the participants submitted as part of the program. Guided by a constructivist methodology, I used narrative inquiry and grounded theory to conduct data analysis. As learners and teachers, these individuals drew upon epistemological orientations emphasizing a procedural orientation to knowledge. They experienced varying degrees of interior and exterior development in self and epistemology. They created integrity in their efforts to align their intentions with their actions with a dynamic relationship to context. This study suggests that professional development experiences in science education include consideration of the personal and the professional, recognize and honor differing perspectives, facilitate development, and assist individuals to recognize and articulate their integrity.

  14. Defining and understanding the relationship between professional identity and interprofessional responsibility: implications for educating health and social care students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joynes, Viktoria C T

    2018-03-01

    This paper is concerned with exploring the relationship between perceptions of professional identities, interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice. It seeks to introduce the concept of interprofessional responsibility as both a shift in the way in which to conceptualise the professional identity of Health and Social Care (H&SC) staff and as a new set of practices that help to inform the way in which students are prepared for collaborative working. The presented research, undertaken as part of a Ph.D. study, is based upon semi-structured interviews (n = 33) with H&SC staff who were recruited from both the United Kingdom (UK) Health Service and UK universities. Drawing upon thematic analysis of the data, the results of the research identified that previous conceptualisations of professional identity aligned to a whole profession do not relate to the way in which professionals perceive their identities. Senior professionals claimed to be more comfortable with their own professional identity, and with working across professional boundaries, than junior colleagues. Academic staff also identified that much IPE currently taught in universities serves the purpose of box-ticking rather than being delivered in meaningful way. It is proposed that the findings have implications for the way in which IPE is currently taught, and that adoption of the proposed concept of 'interprofessional responsibility' may help address some of the concerns these findings raise.

  15. Professional Development of Older Employees in Small and Medium Enterprises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Trochimiuk

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of the paper is to present and assess professional development opportunities for older employees in SME. Methodology: In the process of desk research, the author has discerned a number of characteristics of training activities conducted by SMEs. The management of older employees’ professional development is discussed on the basis of selected research findings, i.a. CATI and CAPI surveys conducted in the framework of the “Comprehensive program of activation of people aged 50+” project carried out by the Department of Human Resource Management at Kozminski University in 2010–2012. Findings: The first part of the paper discusses the specificity of training measures undertaken in SMEs. According to a large body research results available, these include: informality, reactivity, short-term perspective, focus on solving current problems, “learning by doing”, focus on the development of specific skills and organizational knowledge, lack of professional organization of trainings. The core part of the paper focuses on the management of professional development of older employees in SMEs. The majority of surveyed firms have declared providing their older and younger employees with the same access to training. However, it does not always mean training is organised, or that employees aged 50+ participate in it. Moreover, the survey has proven the existence of significant differences in assessments and opinions among entrepreneurs and employees. Originality/value: This paper discusses professional development of older SME employees, which is a relatively new problem; it is based on an extensive body of research. Managing professional development of older workers is one of the most important challenges faced by SMEs in the twentyfirst century and it shall require extensive and thorough research in the future.

  16. Using Learning Trajectories for Teacher Learning to Structure Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bargagliotti, Anna E.; Anderson, Celia Rousseau

    2017-01-01

    As a result of the increased focus on data literacy and data science across the world, there has been a large demand for professional development in statistics. However, exactly how these professional development opportunities should be structured remains an open question. The purpose of this paper is to describe the first iteration of a design…

  17. State Definitions of Social Work Practice: Implications for our Professional Identity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Katharine; Fogel, Sondra; Plitt Donaldson, Linda; Erickson, Christina

    2017-01-01

    For over a century, the social work profession has been concerned with describing the unique and specific characteristics that define its core functions in society; however, the profession has yet to agree to a single definition of social work. In the absence of a unifying definition, 51 different statutory definitions of social work have been created by each state and the District of Columbia. Using qualitative methods, each statutory definition of social work was analyzed to gain an understanding of how social work is defined and understood across the United States. Findings indicate that 57% of the statutory language blend the full range of micro to macro social work practice skills into their definition. However, even within these and those remaining, there are vast differences in definitions. Implications for state licensing laws, are considered, along with how this impacts education, the work force, and professional identity.

  18. Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sloep, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Sloep, P. B. (2009). Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning. Presentation at a NeLLL seminar with Etienne Wenger held at the Open Universiteit Nederland. September, 10, 2009, Heerlen, The Netherlands.

  19. Continuing professional development | Hellenberg | South African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    It would be unlikely that many of today\\'s practicing family doctors have not been involved in Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities. It would be equally unlikely, however, that these activities were part of any contextually structured educational plan towards professional development. Often driven by external need ...

  20. Reviewing a Reading Program: Professional Development Module. Facilitator's Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosanovich, Marcia; Jordan, Georgia; Arndt, Elissa; VanSciver, Mary; Wahl, Michelle; Rissman, Lila

    2008-01-01

    This "Facilitator's Guide" has been prepared for presenters of the Reviewing a Reading Program professional development training. It is one of three pieces comprising a suite of materials on reviewing reading programs: this "Guide", the "Reviewing a Reading Program Participant's Guide" and the "Reviewing a Reading Program" Professional Development…

  1. Nuclear power - Sustainable development - Professional skill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Comsa, Olivia; Paraschiva, M.V.; Banutoiu, Maria

    2002-01-01

    Sustainable development of society implies taking political decisions integrating harmoniously ingredients like these: - technological maturity; - socio-economic efficiency; - rational and equitable use of natural resources; - compliance with requirements concerning the environment and population; - professional ethics; - communications with the public and media; - professional skill; - public opinion acceptance. A rational analysis of these factors shows clearly that nuclear power appears to be an optimal ground for a sustainable power source besides the hydro and thermo-electric systems. Such a conclusion was confirmed by all types of analyses, methodologies or programs like for instance: MAED, WASP, FINPLAN, DECADES, ENPEP and more recently MESSAGE. The paper describes applications of these analytical methodologies for two scenarios of Cernavoda NPP future development. To find the optimal development strategy for the electric system, implying minimal costs the optimization analysis mode of the ELECSAM analysis module was used. The following conclusions were reached: - the majority of Romania's classical electrical stations are old; consequently, part of them should be decommissioned while others will be refurbished. Instead of installing new power groups these options will result in lowering the investment cost, as well as, in reduction of noxious gas emission; - the nuclear power system developed in Romania upon the CANDU technology appears to be one of the most performing and safe technology in the world. Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 commissioned on December 2, 1996 covers about 10% to 12% of the energy demand of the country. The CANDU systems offers simultaneously secure energy supply, safe operation, low energy costs and practically a zero impact upon the environment. The case study for Romania by means of DECADES project showed that the development program with minimal cost for electrical stations implies construction of new 706.5 MW nuclear units and new 660 MW

  2. Learning, assessment and professional identity development in public health training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Annette

    2016-06-01

    Professional identity formation is important for new recruits to training programmes. The integration of the accumulation of knowledge and assessment is a key aspect in its acquisition. This study assessed this interaction in Public Health Training in one English region. Semi-structured interviews were held with 15 registrars from the West Midlands Public Health Training Programme. Pre-interview questionnaires gathered background information. A thematic content analysis approach was taken. There was a lack of integration between academic and workplace learning, the professional examination process and professional identity development. Registrars considered sitting the examination and their workplace learning as two parallel processes. Passing the examination was considered a key part in the early development of a professional identity but this was replaced by the opinions of others by the third year of training. Having a Masters' in Public Health was less important but played a different role in their perceived acceptance by the wider Public Health workforce. The lack of integration between assessment and learning seemed to have a detrimental effect on professional identity development. A review of how these two aspects might combine in a more positive manner is needed.

  3. Teachers' professional development needs and current practices at the Alexander Science Center School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gargus, Gerald Vincent

    This investigation represents an in-depth understanding of teacher professional development at the Alexander Science Center School, a dependent charter museum school established through a partnership between the California Science Center and Los Angeles Unified School District. Three methods of data collection were used. A survey was distributed and collected from the school's teachers, resulting in a prioritized list of teacher professional development needs, as well as a summary of teachers' opinions about the school's existing professional development program. In addition, six key stakeholders in the school's professional development program were interviewed for the study. Finally, documents related to the school's professional development program were analyzed. Data collected from the interviews and documents were used to develop an understand various components of the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program. Teachers identified seven areas that had a high-priority for future professional development including developing skills far working with below-grade-level students, improving the analytical skills of student in mathematics, working with English Language Learners, improving students' overall reading ability levels, developing teachers' content-area knowledge for science, integrating science across the curriculum, and incorporating hands-on activity-based learning strategies to teach science. Professional development needs identified by Alexander Science Center School teachers were categorized based on their focus on content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, or curricular knowledge. Analysis of data collected through interviews and documents revealed that the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program consisted of six venues for providing professional development for teachers including weekly "banked time" sessions taking place within the standard school day, grade-level meetings, teacher support

  4. Teachers' Perceptions of the Quantity and Quality of Professional Development Activities in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellibas, Mehmet Sukru; Gumus, Emine

    2016-01-01

    Professional development for teachers has been a substantial issue in contemporary educational research and policy. Yet, opportunities for professional development activities have been very limited in Turkey. In this study, we examined Turkish teachers' involvement in professional development activities by comparing their participation with the…

  5. Teachers’ perceptions of the quantity and quality of professional development activities in Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Sukru Bellibas

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Professional development for teachers has been a substantial issue in contemporary educational research and policy. Yet, opportunities for professional development activities have been very limited in Turkey. In this study, we examined Turkish teachers’ involvement in professional development activities by comparing their participation with the level of participation in top-performing countries in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2011, including Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. Then, we also conducted face-to-face interviews with 13 Turkish mathematics and science teachers in order to explore their views about the current professional development opportunities for teachers in Turkey. The results of this study indicate that, when compared with teachers from Turkey, a larger proportion of teachers in the top-ranking countries participated in professional development activities in most of the sub-categories of professional development in both mathematics and science. In line with this finding, results of the qualitative analysis suggest that most of the teachers in Turkey are not happy with the quantity of professional development activities available to them. In addition, teachers believe that the quality of professional development provided to teachers is low in terms of its connection to the practice of teaching. This situation might hinder teachers’ performance and negatively impact student achievement in Turkey.

  6. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHER TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix Kayode OLAKULEHIN

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper examined the contemporary teacher training and professional development in Nigeria as an example of the experiences in developing countries of the world. Against the background of the ascendancy of information and communications technologies in all aspects of human life this study attempted to situate the concept of Information and Communication technology at the centre of the pre-service training and continuing professional development of the Nigerian teacher. A review of some of the major challenges confronting the nation in terms of adopting a technology driven teacher education model was carried out. It also explored the potentials of ICTs for and in teachers’ professional development in Nigeria and developing countries of the world. Consequently, proposing a model of a sustainable teacher training and professional development for Nigeria and other developing countries, within the functional framework of the Information and Communication Technologies was developed to indicate how ICTs could be gradually introduced into the school systems. The study conclude by further highlighting the benefits that Nigeria and other developing countries stand to gain by adopting an ICT driven approach for the pre-service and in-service training and professional development of teachers.

  7. The Use of the Professional Standard as a Tool for Professional Development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ir. Veronique van de Reijt; dr.ir. Quinta Kools

    2013-01-01

    Research topic/aim The professional development of teacher educators (T Eds) is increasingly being recognised as a topic of paramount importance, partly caused by the attention for the lifelong learning of those responsible for teaching student teachers. In this presentation we focus on the

  8. The roles of institutions in developing the professionalism of nuclear personnel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scott, C.K.

    2005-01-01

    The importance of professionalism in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants is reviewed. Given the role that a professional plays in business decisions, the institutions supporting the professionals in their competency and independence are important components of the industry. The paper discusses areas where the institutions can provide additional support including: standards of professional conduct, professional certification, development of standards, and professional exchanges. Improvements in these areas will improve the quality and productivity of the professionals. The benefit from the improvements is the business goals of safety, production and cost control are more readily achievable. (author)

  9. Team-Based Professional Development Interventions in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gast, Inken; Schildkamp, Kim; van der Veen, Jan T.

    2017-01-01

    Most professional development activities focus on individual teachers, such as mentoring or the use of portfolios. However, new developments in higher education require teachers to work together in teams more often. Due to these changes, there is a growing need for professional development activities focusing on teams. Therefore, this review study…

  10. Secondary science teachers' view toward and classroom translation of sustained professional development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Elizabeth Blake

    This study concerns the phenomenon of secondary science teacher learning and enacting instructional strategies learned at the Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) teacher professional development events, as well as teacher perception of, and relationship to, this year-long professional development program. The CISIP program teaches science teachers how to build scientific classroom discourse communities with their students. Some of the science teachers were previous participants in the professional development, and acted as mentor teachers. The research design employed an integrated conceptual framework of situated learning theory with an analytical lens of teachers' professional, institutional and affinity, identities. A multi-method approach was used to generate data. Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year, the teachers' fidelity to the professional development model was measured using a classroom observation instrument aligned with the professional development model. From these observation data a longitudinal model, using hierarchical linear modeling, was constructed. In addition, surveys and interview data were used to construct both whole group and case studies of two high school science teachers who taught biology at the same school. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between previous and new participants; specifically, the longer teachers had participated in the professional development, and adopted a mentorship role, the greater their fidelity of classroom instruction to the CISIP model. Additionally, the case study teacher who developed a CISIP model-aligned affinity identity implemented more of the instructional strategies than the teacher who maintained his school-based institutional identity.

  11. Develop a Professional Learning Plan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal of Staff Development, 2013

    2013-01-01

    A professional learning plan establishes short-and long-term plans for professional learning and implementation of the learning. Such plans guide individuals, schools, districts, and states in coordinating learning experiences designed to achieve outcomes for educators and students. Professional learning plans focus on the program of educator…

  12. Professional Development in Tough Financial Times

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gandel, Paul B.; Golden, Cynthia

    2004-01-01

    The authors asked a diverse cross-section of their colleagues how they were addressing professional development in tight economic times, when they are all being asked to work more effectively across organizational boundaries. While the survey was informal and not scientific, the authors found that many organizations have maintained strong…

  13. Professional WordPress Plugin Development

    CERN Document Server

    Williams, Brad; Tadlock, Justin

    2011-01-01

    Taking WordPress to the next level with advanced plugin developmentWordPress is used to create self-hosted blogs and sites, and it's fast becoming the most popular content management system (CMS) on the Web. Now you can extend it for personal, corporate and enterprise use with advanced plugins and this professional development guide. Learn how to create plugins using the WordPress plugin API: utilize hooks, store custom settings, craft translation files, secure your plugins, set custom user roles, integrate widgets, work with JavaScript and AJAX, create custom post types. You'll find a practic

  14. The Impact of Adapting a General Professional Development Framework to the Constraints of In-Service Professional Development on the Next Generation Science Standards in Urban Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGee, Steven; Nutakki, Nivedita

    2017-01-01

    Urban school districts face a dilemma in providing professional development support for teachers in transition to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Districts need to maximize the quality and amount of professional development within practical funding constraints. In this paper, we discuss preliminary results from a…

  15. Examining the design features of a communication-rich, problem-centred mathematics professional development

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Araujo, Zandra; Orrill, Chandra Hawley; Jacobson, Erik

    2018-04-01

    While there is considerable scholarship describing principles for effective professional development, there have been few attempts to examine these principles in practice. In this paper, we identify and examine the particular design features of a mathematics professional development experience provided for middle grades teachers over 14 weeks. The professional development was grounded in a set of mathematical tasks that each had one right answer, but multiple solution paths. The facilitator engaged participants in problem solving and encouraged participants to work collaboratively to explore different solution paths. Through analysis of this collaborative learning environment, we identified five design features for supporting teacher learning of important mathematics and pedagogy in a problem-solving setting. We discuss these design features in depth and illustrate them by presenting an elaborated example from the professional development. This study extends the existing guidance for the design of professional development by examining and operationalizing the relationships among research-based features of effective professional development and the enacted features of a particular design.

  16. The Impact of Professional Development Schools on Teacher Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosenza, Michael N.

    2010-01-01

    Although there is no common definition for teacher leadership, the concept is continually advanced as a key component for both the success of schools and professionalization of teachers. Studies have shown that teachers who feel empowered as leaders are more effective in the classroom. Professional development schools (PDSs) provide multiple…

  17. Effective Professional Development of Teachers: A Guide to Actualizing Inclusive Schooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimura, Trisha

    2014-01-01

    This article examines how inclusive education activities can be facilitated through coaching as a means of professional development. A review of literature on effective professional development practices is discussed, and a recent study focused on individualized peer coaching is examined.

  18. Involvement of end-users in multi-user solar hybrid grids - implications for professionals in the field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schweizer-Ries, P.; Villalobos Montoya, C. [Otto-von-Guericke Univ. Magdeburg, Magdeburg (Germany)

    2004-07-01

    Environmental psychology is concerned with different environments like natural, social and cultural environments, including the constructed ones as well as technical instruments, which are influencing and are influenced by people. On the use of solar energy technology, the article describes the application of the social design theory, derived from architectural psychology on the one hand and on the other hand from the socio-technical system design theory, which is originated in organizational psychology. Using a phase model, implications for professionals in the field are presented. The five different phases are: concept, contact, preparation, implementation and follow up. Social issues are important in every single phase, but nevertheless they are often ignored. Participation and action research can be very helpful: Firstly in order to further elaborate the human factor in rural energy supply and secondly in order to spread the knowledge on how to take people into account for a sustainable development into social as well as engineering sciences. (authors)

  19. Involvement of end-users in multi-user solar hybrid grids - implications for professionals in the field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schweizer-Ries, P.; Villalobos Montoya, C.

    2004-01-01

    Environmental psychology is concerned with different environments like natural, social and cultural environments, including the constructed ones as well as technical instruments, which are influencing and are influenced by people. On the use of solar energy technology, the article describes the application of the social design theory, derived from architectural psychology on the one hand and on the other hand from the socio-technical system design theory, which is originated in organizational psychology. Using a phase model, implications for professionals in the field are presented. The five different phases are: concept, contact, preparation, implementation and follow up. Social issues are important in every single phase, but nevertheless they are often ignored. Participation and action research can be very helpful: Firstly in order to further elaborate the human factor in rural energy supply and secondly in order to spread the knowledge on how to take people into account for a sustainable development into social as well as engineering sciences. (authors)

  20. A QUEST for sustainable continuing professional development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

    2017-01-01

    Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can be crucial in improving teaching, and student learning. Extant research suggests consensus pertaining to the core features of effective CPD including content focus, active learning, coherence, duration and collaborative activities. This chapter reports...... organized by the local PLC, and individual enactments in the teachers’ own classrooms. This “rhythm” has now been institutionalized, and even though the project has come to an end, there is still networking across schools and PLC activities continue in all five municipalities. In order to assess...... on a large-scale, long-term Danish CPD project for which all the activities were created with these consensus criteria in mind. The overall purpose has been to develop a sustainable model for CPD that acknowledges teachers’ situated learning in professional learning communities (PLCs), supports bottom...

  1. Developing an Ethical Framework for All Geoscientists: AGI Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boland, Maeve A.; Leahy, P. Patrick; Keane, Christopher M.

    2016-04-01

    In 1997, a group of geoscientists and others recognized the need for a broad-based set of ethical standards for the geosciences that would be an expression of the highest common denominator of values for the profession. The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) coordinated the development of the 1999 AGI Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct and their subsequent revision in 2015. AGI is a nonprofit federation of 51 geoscientific and professional organizations that span the geosciences and have approximately 250,000 members. AGI serves as a voice for shared interests in the geoscience community and one of its roles is to facilitate collaboration and discussion among its member societies on matters of common or overarching concern. In this capacity, AGI convened a working group to create the 1999 Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct and a further working group to revise the Guidelines in 2015 through a consensus process involving all member societies. The Guidelines are an aspirational document, setting out ideals and high levels of achievement for the profession. They have no provision for disciplinary of enforcement action and they do not supersede the ethics statements or codes of any member society. The 1999 Guidelines pay considerable attention to the professional behavior of geoscientists. The 2015 Guidelines place greater emphasis on the societal context of the geosciences and the responsibilities of geoscientists in areas such as communication, education, and the challenges of understanding complex natural systems. The 2015 Guidelines have been endorsed by 29 member societies to date. To translate the aspirations in the Guidelines into specific actions, AGI has facilitated discussions on the practical implications of aspects of the Guidelines. One outcome of these discussions has been a Consensus Statement Regarding Access and Inclusion of Individuals Living with Disabilities in the Geosciences.

  2. Agency in Professional Self-Determination of Adolescentswith Special Social Situations of Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aron I.S.,

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The article explains the importance of agency in professional identity formation as a conscious, independent, active, responsible, professional choice relevant in modern society. Psychological readiness for agency is considered its integral indicator which includes cognitive, activity, motivational, and personality components. The paper presents outcomes of a research on the specifics of psychological readiness to professional self-determination in adolescents with special social situations of development. This research involved 211 adolescents including orphans, teenagers with deviant behavior, and gifted teenagers. A set of techniques used in the research consisted of five standard techniques and a questionnaire developed by the author. The obtained results revealed that there is a lack of readiness for professional self-determination in all adolescent groups: orphans and teenagers with deviant behaviors showed insufficient rates for all four components of readiness, while gifted adolescents showed low rates for activity and personal components. The results of this research may help develop differentiated, person-centered technologies for promoting agency in professional self-determination of adolescents with special social situations of development. The author links the prospects of further investigations with the study of positive characteristics of psychological readiness of young people with special social situations of development to professional self-determination; these characteristics can serve as a compensatory and developmental potential of agency in professional self-determination in the context of specific social contexts and limited agency-based resources of professional self-determination.

  3. Teachers’ beliefs about diversity: an analysis from a personal and professional perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esther Chiner Sanz

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs that teachers have about diversity and their level of sensitivity towards some topics related to it. Moreover, beliefs were compared according to teachers’ personal and professional views and teaching experience. The Personal and Professional Beliefs about Diversity Scales (Pohan and Aguilar, 1999 were administered to a sample of 233 teachers. Results showed highly positive beliefs towards diversity in all its dimensions (cultural, linguistic and social diversity, ability, gender, sexual orientation and religion, especially regarding its personal implications compared to the professional ones. Likewise, it was observed a significant relationship between years of teaching experience and professional beliefs about diversity, so teachers with no school experience showed a higher tolerance than those with teaching experience, mainly in aspects related to cultural, linguistic and social differences, ability and gender. The implications that these results have for educational practice and the need for the development of multicultural education courses that favour an effective teaching are discussed.

  4. Radon: implications for the health professional

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romano, C.A.

    1990-01-01

    Radon is a colorless, odorless gas formed by radioactive decay of radium and uranium, which are naturally present in the earth's crust. When concentrated indoors, this invisible gas becomes a potential health hazard. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up to 20,000 lung cancer deaths annually can be attributed to prolonged radon exposure. Radon is an important health issue that should be understood by all health care professionals. This paper discusses some of the important issues regarding radon, such as the incidences of lung cancer believed to be attributable to radon, the high-risk areas in the United States, federal safety guidelines, and public apathy. These issues and their impact on the health care required by professionals, especially nurse practitioners, are discussed

  5. Toward an Ethics of Professional Understanding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanchuk, Nicolas; Scramstad, Carly; Kruse, Marc

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we advance a novel conception of normative ethics and draw out its implications within the domain of professional ethics. We argue that all moral agents, and thus professionals, share a fundamental and constitutive normative interest in correctly conceiving of their ends. All professionals, we claim, by virtue of their positions of…

  6. Preschool Teachers' Attitudes toward Internet Applications for Professional Development in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ru-Si

    2016-01-01

    This study focuses on preschool teachers' attitudes toward integrated Internet applications for professional development by a survey in Taiwan. The researcher developed a survey questionnaire consisting of five factors: usefulness, effectiveness, behavioral intention, Internet connection, and professional competence. This study analyzed the survey…

  7. Teachers' Goal Orientation Profiles and Participation in Professional Development Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunst, Eva M.; van Woerkom, Marianne; Poell, Rob F.

    2018-01-01

    Participation in professional development activities is important for teachers to continuously improve their knowledge and skills. However, teachers differ in their attitude towards learning activities. This paper examined how different goal orientation profiles are related to participation in professional development activities (acquiring…

  8. Teacher Activist Organizations and the Development of Professional Agency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinn, Rand; Carl, Nicole Mittenfelner

    2015-01-01

    Teacher professional agency refers to the ability of teachers to control their work within structural constraints. In this paper, we show how teacher activist organizations can assist in the development of professional agency. We focus on a teacher activist organization in a large urban district in the United States and identify three…

  9. OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BY PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION / REINTEGRATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LAVINIA ELISABETA POPP

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The present paper presents some opportunities for the development of human resources by means of professional insertion / reinsertion. It is about an intervention project, more precisely the establishment of a Centre for Career Counselling and Professional Requalification (CORP within the University “Eftimie Murgu” of Reşita. The objective was the promotion of an inclusive society able to facilitate the access and integration on the labour market of the young unemployed. By its activities, the project forwards an inclusive model of social inclusion of the professionally inactive young people through individualised programmes of qualification - requalification, support and professional counselling. By its results the project contributed to the stimulation of the participation of young unemployed persons to the social, economic and educational life, the consideration of the importance of the role played by education and professional training among the youth.

  10. Meaningful Professional Development: A Personal Journey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shore, Rebecca Ann

    2012-01-01

    This article shares a personal story of the evolution of professional development in practice in K-12 schools from three states over a 30 year period. The article begins with reference to general subject area life awarded teaching credentials and concludes with the addition of language addressing prekindergarten, specifically the inclusion of…

  11. Assessing the Interactivity and Prescriptiveness of Faculty Professional Development Workshops: The Real-Time Professional Development Observation Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olmstead, Alice; Turpen, Chandra

    2016-01-01

    Professional development workshops are one of the primary mechanisms used to help faculty improve their teaching, and draw in many STEM instructors every year. Although workshops serve a critical role in changing instructional practices within our community, we rarely assess workshops through careful consideration of how they engage faculty.…

  12. Writing a continuing professional development article for publication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Bob

    2014-07-01

    Writing for journal publication is a worthwhile but challenging activity that requires clear motives, purpose, planning and execution. Continuing professional development (CPD) articles are designed to be informative and educative, with the aim of enhancing the reader's understanding of a particular subject. This article provides an overview of how to approach and plan the writing of a CPD article to enhance the success of its acceptance for publication in a professional journal.

  13. Transitioning to Inquiry-Based Teaching: Exploring Science Teachers' Professional Development Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazempour, Mahsa; Amirshokoohi, Aidin

    2014-01-01

    The literature on professional development is replete with studies that utilize survey, interview, and classroom observation data, primarily collected post professional development experience, to explore teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and actions; however, we lack a clear understanding of teachers' learning process and reflections during the…

  14. Observations on the 2016 World Congress on Continuing Professional Development: Advancing Learning and Care in the Health Professions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turco, Mary G; Baron, Robert B

    2016-01-01

    The 2016 World Congress on Continuing Professional Development: Advancing Learning and Care in the Health Professions took place in San Diego, California, March 17-19, 2016. Hosts were the Association for Hospital Medical Education (AHME), Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professionals (ACEhp), and Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME). The target audience was the international community working to improve medical (CME), nursing (CNE), pharmacy (CPE), and interprofessional (CIPE) continuing education (CE) and continuing professional development (CPD). Goals included: addressing patients' concerns and needs; advancing global medical and interprofessional health sciences education; utilizing learning to address health disparities; and promoting international cooperation. The five keynote speakers were: patient advocate Alicia Cole ("Why What We Do Matters: The Patients Voice"); linguist Lorelei Lingard ("Myths about Healthcare Teamwork and Their Implications for How We Understand Competence"); futurist and philosopher Alex Jadad ("What Do We Need to Protect at All Costs in the 21st Century?"); ethicist and change agent Zeke Emanuel ("Learn to Change: Teaching Toward a Shifting Healthcare Horizon"); and technology innovator Stephen Downes ("From Individual to Community: The Learning Is in the Doing"). Organizers announced the new Dave Davis Distinguished Award for Excellence in Mentorship in Continuing Professional Development to honor the career of David Davis, MD, in CME/CPD scholarship in Canada, the United States, and beyond. Participants valued the emphasis on interprofessional education and practice, the importance of integrating the patient voice, the effectiveness of flipped classroom methods, and the power of collective competency theories. Attendee-respondents encouraged Congress planners to continue to strive for a broad global audience and themes of international interest.

  15. Factors Contributing to EFL Teachers' Professional Development in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Amin

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study was aimed at investigating factors contributing to English as a Foreign Language teachers’ professional development and how these factors have shaped their professionalism. The subjects of the study included six English teachers at senior high schools under the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs in three different regions in Indonesia. Findings of the study reveal that there are both personal and environmental factors identified as having contributed to an EFL teacher’s professionalism, both prior to and after their induction into EFL teaching. Prior to the induction, two of the personal factors were identified: an early interest in English and a high aptitude, although early exposure to English may also be considered an environmental factor. After induction, their professional development is affected by: the level of job satisfaction, commitment to their own learning and student learning, communication skills, and resilience as personal factors, and students, school facilities, teacher colleagues, curriculum change, school leadership, and the supervisory system as environmental factors.

  16. How Instructors Develop Their Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practice as They Teach Online Professional Development (OPD) Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jung Jin

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated how three instructors developed their professional learning of beliefs, knowledge, and practice by examining their professional learning processes using constructive, social constructive, and transformative theoretical perspectives on learning. It also focused on their challenges and supports in developing their…

  17. Mediating Artifact in Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svendsen, Bodil

    2015-01-01

    This article focuses on teacher professional development (TPD) in natural science through the 5E model as mediating artifact. The study was conducted in an upper secondary school, grounded in a school-based intervention research project. My contribution to the field of research on TPD is founded on the hypothesis that teachers would be best…

  18. Health Implications of Climate Change: a Review of the Literature About the Perception of the Public and Health Professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hathaway, Julia; Maibach, Edward W

    2018-03-01

    Through a systematic search of English language peer-reviewed studies, we assess how health professionals and the public, worldwide, perceive the health implications of climate change. Among health professionals, perception that climate change is harming health appears to be high, although self-assessed knowledge is low, and perceived need to learn more is high. Among the public, few North Americans can list any health impacts of climate change, or who is at risk, but appear to view climate change as harmful to health. Among vulnerable publics in Asia and Africa, awareness of increasing health harms due to specific changing climatic conditions is high. Americans across the political and climate change opinion spectra appear receptive to information about the health aspects of climate change, although findings are mixed. Health professionals feel the need to learn more, and the public appears open to learning more, about the health consequences of climate change.

  19. Three Cases of Hashtags Used as Learning and Professional Development Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veletsianos, George

    2017-01-01

    Hashtags offer exciting opportunities for professional development, teaching, and learning. However, their use reflects users' needs and desires. To illustrate and problematize the ways hashtags are used in professional development settings, this study reports on users' participation patterns, users' roles, and content contributed to three unique…

  20. Job-Embedded Professional Development Policy in Michigan: Can It Be Successful?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, Michael A.; Pogodzinski, Ben; Hill, William E.

    2016-01-01

    This paper evaluates Michigan's recently implemented job-embedded professional development policy using criteria of relevance, focus, goal orientation and social scope. The authors assert that while Michigan's policy does address all four criteria detailing effective professional development, there are limitations in the policy that may impact the…

  1. A marriage of continuance: professional development for mathematics lecturers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton, Bill; Oates, Greg; Paterson, Judy; Thomas, Mike

    2015-06-01

    In a 2-year project, we developed and trialled a mode of lecturing professional development amongst staff in our department of mathematics. Theoretically grounded in Schoenfeld's resources, orientations, and goals (ROG) model of teacher action, a group met regularly to discuss both the video excerpts of themselves lecturing along with written pre- and post-lecture statements of their "ROGs". We found evidence of improved teaching performance but more interestingly, identified key aspects of our practice and of undergraduate mathematics that received repeated attention and developed further theoretical insight into lecturer behaviour in mathematics. The trial has been successful enough to be expanded into further groups that now constitute a professional development culture within our department.

  2. MOOCs as a Professional Development Tool for Librarians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meghan Ecclestone

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This article explores how reference and instructional librarians taking over new areas of subject responsibility can develop professional expertise using new eLearning tools called MOOCs. MOOCs – Massive Open Online Courses – are a new online learning model that offers free higher education courses to anyone with an Internet connection and a keen interest to learn. As MOOCs proliferate, librarians have the opportunity to leverage this technology to improve their professional skills.

  3. Advancing the Practice of CRCs: Why Professional Development Matters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behar-Horenstein, Linda S; Prikhidko, Alena; Kolb, H Robert

    2018-01-01

    Clinical research coordinators (CRCs) assume critical responsibilities central to the success of the research team. The complexity of their role requires essential professional qualifications. One barrier to professionalization, however, has been the inconsistent, or absent, competency-based training. This study explored participants' perceptions of training experiences designed to prepare them for the national certification exam. Focus group methodology was used to document their experiences. The findings showed that sustainable mentoring relationships developed, participant confidence levels increased, and anxiety about performance capacity diminished. Cognitive reframing of the work environment and CRC roles was facilitated by training that fostered sharing and social reinforcement of professional and personal identities. Findings from this study suggest that access to meaningful training and quality instruction supports the professionalization of CRCs.

  4. Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice: Framing Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen-Johnson, Ann

    2017-05-01

    The NASN Code of Ethics upholds that it is the responsibility of the school nurse to maintain competency and pursue personal and professional growth. Designing professional development activities that are relevant and support the needs of the school nurse can be a challenge. The Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice provides a model rooted in evidence-based standards of practice that can be utilized to assess an existing professional development program and identify gaps in learning opportunities. Nurse leaders can use the Framework for 21st Century Nursing Practice to provide a roadmap toward a professional development program that will be meaningful to school nurse staff, help restore or maintain joy in their practice, and allow them to achieve the goal of advancing the well-being, academic success, and lifelong achievement and health of students.

  5. Professional Development Needs of Online Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Mamta; Boboc, Marius

    2016-01-01

    Keeping in mind the rising rate of K-12 enrollment, and the increased demand for online teachers, the need for professional development of online teachers is keenly felt. The skills needed for teaching in face-to-face environments are not always transferable to online settings. There is a pointed change in the way teaching takes place in an online…

  6. Enabling professional development in mental health nursing: the role of clinical leadership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ennis, G; Happell, B; Reid-Searl, K

    2015-10-01

    Clinical leadership is acknowledged as important to the nursing profession. While studies continue to identify its significance in contributing to positive outcomes for consumers, the role that clinical leadership has in enabling and supporting professional development in mental health nursing is poorly understood. This study utilized a grounded theory methodology to explore the characteristics clinicians consider important for clinical leadership and its significance for mental health nursing in day-to-day clinical practice. Individual face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses working in mental health settings. Participants described the important role that clinical leaders play in enabling professional development of others through role modelling and clinical teaching. They describe how nurses, whom they perceive as clinical leaders, use role modelling and clinical teaching to influence the professional development of nursing staff and undergraduate nursing students. Attributes such as professionalism and honesty were seen, by participants, as enablers for clinical leaders in effectively and positively supporting the professional development of junior staff and undergraduate nurses in mental health nursing. This paper examines clinical leadership from the perspective of mental health nurses delivering care, and highlights the important role of clinical leaders in supporting professional development in mental health nursing. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. "We Always Want to Get Better": Teachers' Voices on Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parise, Leigh M.; Finkelstein, Carla; Alterman, Emma

    2015-01-01

    Through the Innovative Professional Development (iPD) Challenge, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in helping school districts and networks redesign their professional development systems to serve educators better and improve student performance. MDRC's evaluation of the iPD Challenge involves case studies and multiple rounds of…

  8. Continuing Professional Development for a Diverse VET Practitioner Workforce. Occasional Paper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyler, Mark; Dymock, Darryl

    2017-01-01

    This occasional paper provides a stocktake of recent developments in continuing professional development for VET practitioners. It explores issues such as industry currency, the debate around a professional association for VET and the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment as the minimum qualification for VET practitioners. Through synthesising…

  9. How Professional Organizations Can Help Meet the Professional Development Needs of Middle School Business and Technology Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crews, Tena B.

    2007-01-01

    Middle school business and technology educators were surveyed to examine how professional organizations could meet their professional development needs. A 26 percent response rate (n = 148) was received from middle school educators in 37 states. This research was designed to identify the business and technology courses being taught at the middle…

  10. School nurse summer institute: a model for professional development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neighbors, Marianne; Barta, Kathleen

    2004-06-01

    The components of a professional development model designed to empower school nurses to become leaders in school health services is described. The model was implemented during a 3-day professional development institute that included clinical and leadership components, especially coalition building, with two follow-up sessions in the fall and spring. Coalition building is an important tool to enhance the influence of the school nurse in improving the health of individuals, families, and communities. School nurses and nursing educators with expertise in the specialty of school nursing could replicate this model in their own regions.

  11. Clinical laboratory technologist professional development in Camagüey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mercedes Caridad García González

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the results of research aimed at assessing the current conditions related to clinical laboratory technologist professional development. A descriptive cross study covering the period between November 2013 and January 2014 is presented. Several techniques for identifying and hierarchically arranging professional developmental related problems were used to study a sample at the Faculty of Health Technology of the Medical University “Carlos Juan Finlay”. The study involved heads of teaching departments and methodologists of health care technology specialties; moreover a survey and a content test were given graduate clinical laboratory technicians. The authors reached at the conclusion that clinical laboratory technologist professional development is limited and usually underestimate the necessities and interests of these graduates. Likewise, a lack of systematization and integration of the biomedical basic sciences contents and the laboratory diagnosis is noticeable.

  12. Professional Development of the Teachers from the Angle of School Managers

    OpenAIRE

    Mirascieva, Snezana

    2012-01-01

    The paper focuses on the problem of teachers' professional development and its relation to school management. The professional development of teachers is a common phrase that has actuality among educational experts. The role of the teacher in the development and progress of the community is determined by the teacher’s development. The teacher will monitor changes in the community, will apply new scientific knowledge, develop practice applying new teaching strategies and media depends on its d...

  13. Analysis of an Instructional Coach's Role as Elementary School Language Teachers' Professional Developer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, Chin-Wen

    2013-01-01

    Coaches can provide teachers with quality professional development experiences by mentoring, providing workshops, modeling, or encouraging professional growth (York-Barr & Duke, 2004). This study focuses on the instructional coach's role in the professional development of teachers of English language learners (ELLs). The study has the following…

  14. Professional development strategies for teaching urban biology teachers to use concept maps effectively

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGregor Petgrave, Dahlia M.

    Many teachers are not adequately prepared to help urban students who have trouble understanding conceptual ideas in biology because these students have little connection to the natural world. This study explored potential professional development strategies to help urban biology teachers use concept maps effectively with various topics in the biology curriculum. A grounded theory approach was used to develop a substantive professional development model for urban biology teachers. Qualitative data were collected through 16 semi-structured interviews of professional developers experienced in working with concept maps in the urban context. An anonymous online survey was used to collect quantitative data from 56 professional developers and teachers to support the qualitative data. The participants were from New York City, recruited through the NY Biology-Chemistry Professional Development Mentor Network and the NY Biology Teachers' Association. According to the participants, map construction, classroom applications, lesson planning, action research, follow-up workshops, and the creation of learning communities are the most effective professional development strategies. The interviewees also proposed English language learning strategies such as picture maps, native word maps, and content reading materials with underlined words. This study contributes to social change by providing a professional development model to use in planning workshops for urban teachers. Urban teachers improve their own conceptual understanding of biology while learning how to implement concept mapping strategies in the classroom. Students whose teachers are better prepared to teach biology in a conceptual manner have the potential of growing into more scientifically literate citizens.

  15. Smart Choices for Cancer Education Professional Development: Your Voice and Visibility for Leadership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kratzke, Cynthia

    2017-01-24

    The purpose of this article is to provide reflections about the important and exciting opportunities for cancer education career advancement and professional development. Advancement in professional, personal, and career growth for clinicians and health professionals is critical to improve quality cancer care and updated health communication with patients and families. Valuable insights from my recent 2-year term as treasurer, Board of Directors, Cancer Patient Education Network, are shared inspiring others to build their rewarding professional development. The professional leadership opportunity gave me a new energy level to be invested in rapidly changing cancer education with so many diverse cancer education professionals. Professional cancer education associations are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care through professional networks. They create welcoming environments with significant networking and mentoring opportunities. Cancer education touches many lives, and the cancer education associations strongly support new advances. I encourage early or mid-career cancer education professionals to discover how their increased interest may spark leadership and inspire participation in our cancer education professional associations.

  16. Development Professionals at Religiously Based Nonprofit Organizations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jim Pinder

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The study of why a fundraising professional would choose to leave his or her employer is critical to the ongoing success of religiously based nonprofit organizations as they work to achieve their mission. Without continuity in the donor relationship, donors will likely leave the organization or become disenfranchised. This study focuses on development professionals at Seventh-Day Adventist institutions across North America. The results of this study are applicable to other religiously based nonprofit organizations. The present article reveals the reasons affecting employee retention and proposes approaches to mitigate the loss of valuable employees. Data were gathered using a structured online survey and analyzed for its descriptive outcomes.

  17. Collaborative Professional Development in Higher Education: Developing Knowledge of Technology Enhanced Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaipal-Jamani, Kamini; Figg, Candace; Gallagher, Tiffany; Scott, Ruth McQuirter; Ciampa, Katia

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a professional development initiative for teacher educators, called the "Digital Pedagogies Collaboration," in which the goal was to build faculty knowledge about technology enhanced teaching (TPACK knowledge), develop a collaborative learning and research community of faculty members around technology enhanced…

  18. Continuing Professional Development in the quantity surveying ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    1991-01-01

    Jan 1, 1991 ... The research established that quantity surveyors regarded handing in their CPD ... Surveying, Walter Sisulu University, PO Box 1421, East London, 5200, South Africa. ... Keywords: Continuing professional development, quantity surveying, perception .... In spite of this opportunity enshrined in the Act, the.

  19. Research and professional development of teacher educators

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lunenberg, Mieke; Willemse, Martijn

    2006-01-01

    Over the last decade teacher educators have started to systematically study the processes involved in their efforts to improve their teacher education practices. This research by teacher educators (self-study research) has made an enormous contribution to the professional development of the teacher

  20. Science teachers’ foreground for continued professional development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daugbjerg, Peer

    2015-01-01

    There is a lack of studies that are dedicated to qualify our understanding of the significance of lived experiences as well as foregrounds for science teachers’ participation in professional development. Seven Danish science teachers were interviewed and observed. Three of these teachers exemplify...

  1. Scientist-Teacher Partnerships as Professional Development: An Action Research Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willcuts, Meredith H. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2009-04-01

    The overall purpose of this action research study was to explore the experiences of ten middle school science teachers involved in a three-year partnership program between scientists and teachers at a Department of Energy national laboratory, including the impact of the program on their professional development, and to improve the partnership program by developing a set of recommendations based on the study’s findings. This action research study relied on qualitative data including field notes recorded at the summer academies and data from two focus groups with teachers and scientists. Additionally, the participating teachers submitted written reflections in science notebooks, participated in open-ended telephone interviews that were transcribed verbatim, and wrote journal summaries to the Department of Energy at the end of the summer academy. The analysis of the data, collaboratively examined by the teachers, the scientists, and the science education specialist acting as co-researchers on the project, revealed five elements critical to the success of the professional development of science teachers. First, scientist-teacher partnerships are a unique contribution to the professional development of teachers of science that is not replicated in other forms of teacher training. Second, the role of the science education specialist as a bridge between the scientists and teachers is a unique and vital one, impacting all aspects of the professional development. Third, there is a paradox for classroom teachers as they view the professional development experience from two different lenses – that of learner and that of teacher. Fourth, learning for science teachers must be designed to be constructivist in nature. Fifth, the principles of the nature of science must be explicitly showcased to be seen and understood by the classroom teacher.

  2. [Educational model to develop trustworthy professional activities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamui-Sutton, Alicia; Varela-Ruiz, Margarita; Ortiz-Montalvo, Armando; Torruco-García, Uri

    2015-01-01

    The reorganization of the national health system (SNS), enforces reflection and transformation on medical education in clinical contexts. The study presents an educational model to develop entrusted professionals activities (MEDAPROC) to train human resources in health with reliable knowledge, skills and attitudes to work in the shifting scenario of the SNS. The paper discusses international and national documents on skills in medicine. Based on the analysis of 8 domains, 50 skills and 13 entrusted professional activities (RPA) proposed by the Association of the American Medical College (AAMC) we propose a curriculum design, with the example of the undergraduate program of Gynecology and Obstetrics, with the intention to advance to internship and residency in a continuum that marks milestones and clinical practices. The pedagogical design of MEDAPROC was developed within three areas: 1) proposal of the AAMC; 2) curricular content of programs in pre and postgraduate education 3) organization of the daily agenda with academic mechanisms to develop the competencies, cover program items and develop clinical practice in deliberate learning activities, as well as milestones. The MEDAPROC offers versatility, student mobility and curricular flexibility in a system planed by academic units in diverse clinical settings.

  3. Infrared Astronomy Professional Development for K-12 Educators: WISE Telescope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borders, Kareen; Mendez, B. M.

    2010-01-01

    K-12 educators need effective and relevant astronomy professional development. WISE Telescope (Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer) and Spitzer Space Telescope Education programs provided an immersive teacher professional development workshop at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico during the summer of 2009. As many common misconceptions involve scale and distance, teachers worked with Moon/Earth scale, solar system scale, and distance of objects in the universe. Teachers built and used basic telescopes, learned about the history of telescopes, explored ground and satellite based telescopes, and explored and worked on models of WISE Telescope. An in-depth explanation of WISE and Spitzer telescopes gave participants background knowledge for infrared astronomy observations. We taught the electromagnetic spectrum through interactive stations. The stations included an overview via lecture and power point, the use of ultraviolet beads to determine ultraviolet exposure, the study of WISE lenticulars and diagramming of infrared data, listening to light by using speakers hooked up to photoreceptor cells, looking at visible light through diffraction glasses and diagramming the data, protocols for using astronomy based research in the classroom, and infrared thermometers to compare environmental conditions around the observatory. An overview of LIDAR physics was followed up by a simulated LIDAR mapping of the topography of Mars. We will outline specific steps for K-12 infrared astronomy professional development, provide data demonstrating the impact of the above professional development on educator understanding and classroom use, and detail future plans for additional K-12 professional development. Funding was provided by WISE Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, Starbucks, Arecibo Observatory, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Washington Space Grant Consortium.

  4. The effects of professional development related to classroom assessment on student achievement in science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzie, Dawn Danielle

    This study investigated the relationship between students' standardized test scores in science and (a) increases in teacher assessment literacy and (b) teacher participation in a Teacher Quality Research (TQR) project on classroom assessment. The samples for these studies were teachers from underperforming schools who volunteered to take part in a professional development program in classroom assessment. School groups were randomly assigned to the treatment group. For Study 1, teachers in the treatment received professional development in classroom assessment from a trained assessment coach. Teachers in the control received no professional development. For Study 2, teachers in Treatment 1 received professional development in classroom assessment from a trained assessment coach and teachers in Treatment 2 received professional development in classroom assessment from a facilitator with one day of training. Teachers in both groups completed a measure of assessment literacy, the Teacher Quality Research Test of Assessment Literacy Skills (TQR_TALS), prior to the beginning and then again at the conclusion of the four month professional development program. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between students' standardized test scores in science and (a) increases in teacher assessment literacy and (b) teacher TQR status. Based upon these analyses, the professional development program increased teachers' assessment literacy skills; however, the professional development had no significant impact on students' achievement.

  5. The Model of Designing an Individual Program of Professional Development of Pedagogue-Psychologists According to the Requirements of the Professional Standard (Experience of Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Udina T.N.

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The approaches to design of individual program of professional development of Pedagogue-psychologist that were developed within the framework of the pilot site for approbation and introduction of the professional standard "Pedagogue-psychologist” in Cheboksary of the Chuvash Republic in 2015-2017 are outlined. Attention is drawn to the important role of territorial methodological services accompanying the professional development of psychology teachers in ensuring their transfer to "effective contracts". The article describes: an approximate special program for accompanying the professional development of psychological educators in accordance with the requirements of the professional standard; variants of the organization of the process of designing an individual program for the professional development of Pedagogue-psychologist; an approximate model for designing an individual program of professional development of Pedagogue-psychologist.

  6. Maximizing competence through professional development: increasing disability knowledge among One-Stop Career Center staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Allison Cohen; Timmons, Jaimie Ciulla; Boeltzig, Heike; Hamner, Doris; Fesko, Sheila

    2006-01-01

    The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (USA) mandates that partners in the One-Stop Career Center system be prepared to serve a diverse customer base. Effective service delivery depends in part on a focus on human resources and professional development. This article presents innovative strategies for One-Stop Career Center staff training related to serving customers with disabilities. Findings from case study research conducted in several One-Stops across the country revealed that staff struggled with both knowledge and attitudes around disability issues. To address these concerns, local leaders developed practices that provided opportunities to gain practical skills and put acquired knowledge to use. These included a formalized curriculum focused on disability issues; informal support and consultation from a disability specialist; and exposure and learning through internships for students with disabilities. Implications are offered to stimulate thinking and creativity in local One-Stops regarding the most effective ways to facilitate staff learning and, in turn, improve services for customers with disabilities.

  7. Saudi Continuous Professional Development and Leadership Skills Awareness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsughayyer, Arwa

    2016-01-01

    Higher education in Saudi Arabia has undergone major reforms over the past decade. Investment in leadership development has received particular focus by policymakers. Little is known about leaders and their participations in professional development (PD) programs and effective leadership skills. Therefore, this study examined, using a quantitative…

  8. Evaluation of the Professional Development Program on Web Based Content Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurdakul, Bünyamin; Uslu, Öner; Çakar, Esra; Yildiz, Derya G.

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the professional development program on web based content development (WBCD) designed by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). Based on the theoretical CIPP model by Stufflebeam and Guskey's levels of evaluation, the study was carried out as a case study. The study group consisted of the courses that…

  9. Teacher Research as a Robust and Reflective Path to Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth; Crawford, Patricia A.; Hickmann, Rosemary

    2010-01-01

    This article explores the role of teacher research as part of a robust program of professional development. Teacher research offers teachers at every stage of development a recursive and reflective means of bridging the gap between current practice and potential professional growth. The purpose of this dual level inquiry was to probe the concept…

  10. Making Professional Development Flexible: A Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsyth, Rachel

    2002-01-01

    Presents a case study of an online course that was designed for staff professional development at Manchester Metropolitan University (United Kingdom). Discusses the flexibility of online courses; course design; activities for short online workshops; evaluation methods for course evaluation; and results of participant questionnaires. (LRW)

  11. Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouns, Francis; Sloep, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Brouns, F., & Sloep, P. B. (2009). Learning Networks for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning. Presentation of the Learning Network Programme for a Korean delegation of Chonnam National University and Dankook University (researchers dr. Jeeheon Ryu and dr. Minjeong Kim and a Group of PhD and

  12. Uncovering a Hidden Professional Agenda for Teacher Educators: A Mixed Method Study on Flemish Teacher Educators and Their Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tack, Hanne; Valcke, Martin; Rots, Isabel; Struyven, Katrien; Vanderlinde, Ruben

    2018-01-01

    Taking into account the pressing need to understand more about what teacher educators' professional development characterises, this article adopts a mixed method approach to explore Flemish (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) teacher educators' professional development needs and opportunities. Analysis results of a large-scale survey study with 611…

  13. Professional development needs of nurse educators. An Australian case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oprescu, Florin; McAllister, Margaret; Duncan, David; Jones, Christian

    2017-11-01

    Because there is a global shortage of nurse educators, highly productive and committed nurse educators are needed to supply a rapidly expanding and changing health landscape. To support the aforementioned effort professional development needs of nurse educators must be systematically identified. This study explores practical issues around professional development needs of nurse educators. One hundred and thirty eight Australian nurse educators based in Queensland answered an online survey around professional development needs. Results indicate that 83% (n = 115) of the respondents were enthusiastic about nurse education yet only 45% (n = 62) were confident in their skills and less than 10% (n = 13) saw themselves as expert nurse educators. The most desired areas of future development in teaching were information technology skills, assessment and technical knowledge. There seems to be a shared need for developing global online and offline support resources and communities of practice to support nurse educators in their teaching and research endeavours. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Learning Design for Sustainable Educational and Professional Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Godsk, Mikkel; Bjælde, Ole Eggers; Caspersen, Michael E.

    2015-01-01

    This poster presents the impact of two learning design initiatives at Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University: the professional development module ‘Digital Learning Design’ (DiLD) for assistant professors and postdocs, and the STREAM learning design model for enhancing and transformi...... modules. Both DiLD and the STREAM model have proven to be effective for encouraging educators across all career steps to embrace the potential of educational technology in science higher education and for improving teaching and learning.......This poster presents the impact of two learning design initiatives at Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University: the professional development module ‘Digital Learning Design’ (DiLD) for assistant professors and postdocs, and the STREAM learning design model for enhancing and transforming...

  15. Te Kotahitanga: Culturally Responsive Professional Development for Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishop, Russell; Berryman, Mere

    2010-01-01

    Te Kotahitanga is a research and professional development project that aims to support teachers to raise the achievement of New Zealand's indigenous Maori students in public/mainstream classrooms. An Effective Teaching Profile, developed from the voices of Maori students, their families, principals and some of their teachers, provides direction…

  16. The higher school teaching staff professional development system creation on the adaptive management principles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borova T.A.

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with theoretical analysis of the higher school teaching staff professional development system creation on the adaptive management principles. It is determined the background and components of the higher school teaching staff professional development adaptive management system. It is specified the mechanisms for higher school teaching staff professional development adaptive management: monitoring and coaching. It is shown their place in the higher school teaching staff professional development system on the adaptive management principles. The results of the system efficiency are singled out.

  17. Challenges facing procurement professionals in developing economies: Unlocking value through professional international purchasing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian Tukuta

    2015-04-01

    Objectives: The purpose of this article was to examine the critical role played by the procurement function in business and to reveal the challenges faced by procurement professionals in developing economies as well as to suggest solutions to these challenges. Method: A sequential literary analysis was used, complemented by cross-country qualitative data gathered from one hundred diverse procurement practitioners from Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. These were primarily participants in a series of procurement workshops run by the researchers from January to June 2014. Results: Findings suggested that limited recognition, increasing unethical behaviour, poor supplier service delivery, poor regulatory environment, varying supplier standards and poor corporate governance are the main challenges faced by the procurement profession in these countries. Conclusion: The study’s findings imply that there is limited understanding regarding the role procurement plays in both government and non-government institutions in developing economies. The article suggests solutions which procurement professionals and organisations can implement in order to unlock the potential value in the procurement function.

  18. Evaluating the Impact of Teacher Professional Development: An Evidence-Based Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Fiona

    2014-01-01

    Does teacher professional development make a difference? How do we know? While researchers and policy-makers acknowledge that teacher professional development (PD) needs to be assessed and evaluated, there is often little clarity as to how this can be achieved. Evaluation of teacher PD by schools has been described as the weak link in the PD chain…

  19. Exploring Elements That Support Teachers Engagement in Online Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prestridge, Sarah; Tondeur, Jo

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to identify the most effective elements required in online professional development to enable teachers to improve their use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in their classrooms. Four schools in Queensland were involved, with twelve classroom teachers participating in a year-long online professional development…

  20. Dance Educator Enrichment Program (DEEP): A Model for Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sofras, Pamela Anderson; Emory-Maier, Ambre

    2005-01-01

    In 2001, North Carolina Dance Theatre, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system joined forces to create a multidimensional, professional development program for dance professionals (teachers and artists) in the public schools called, The Dance Educator Enrichment Program (DEEP). DEEP was designed…

  1. COLLECTIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE INTEGRATION OF ICT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Castro Guzman, Willy

    integration, and the teacher professional development as means to promote adoption. With the recognition of the potential of ICT in education, the study reflects the appropriateness of the dominant traditional approach to the first and second-order barriers to technology and attempts to overcome......In this thesis, I explore, analyse and reflect on the individual practice of adoption and the collective practice of integration of technology in teaching and learning in a Higher Education Institution. The study addresses the connections between ICT adoption in Education, the barriers of ICT...... the tradition of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory and brings significant changes in comparison with more traditional approaches in professional development to ICT adoption. The results of the intervention supports the idea of the need for changes in professional development to develop the professors’ agency...

  2. The effects of professional development on science teaching practices and classroom culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supovitz, Jonathan A.; Turner, Herbert M.

    2000-11-01

    The current science education reform movement emphasizes the importance of professional development as a means of improving student science achievement. Reformers have developed a vision for professional development based upon intensive and sustained training around concrete tasks that is focused on subject-matter knowledge, connected to specific standards for student performance, and embedded in a systemic context. Using data from a National Science Foundation Teacher Enhancement program called the Local Systemic Change initiative, this study employs hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationship between professional development and the reformers' vision of teaching practice. The findings indicate that the quantity of professional development in which teachers participate is strongly linked with both inquiry-based teaching practice and investigative classroom culture. At the individual level, teachers' content preparation also has a powerful influence on teaching practice and classroom culture. At the school level, school socioeconomic status was found to influence practice more substantially than either principal supportiveness or available resources.

  3. `Risky fun' or `Authentic science'? How teachers' beliefs influence their practice during a professional development programme on outdoor learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glackin, Melissa

    2016-02-01

    Teaching outdoors has been established as an important pedagogical strategy; however, science classes rarely take place outside. Previous research has identified characteristics of teachers who have integrated out-of-classroom opportunities into their teaching repertoire; yet little is understood as to why teachers make these different pedagogical decisions. This paper explores the relationship between secondary science teachers' beliefs and their pedagogical practice during a two-year professional development programme associated with the 'Thinking Beyond the Classroom' project. Using data from lesson observations, interviews, session questionnaires and field notes, six teacher case studies were developed from participants completing the programme. Data analysis reveals that teachers who successfully taught outside generally held social constructivist beliefs about learning and valued 'authentic' science opportunities. Conversely, teachers who were less successful in teaching outside generally held traditional learning beliefs and simply valued the outdoors for the novelty and potential for fun. All the case study teachers were concerned about managing student learning outside, and for the majority, their concerns influenced their subsequent pedagogical practice. The findings are discussed in detail, as are the implications for pre-service and in-service professional development programmes related to outdoor science learning.

  4. Teachers' professional development: Awareness of literacy practices

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Hennie

    professional development and deepen teachers' understanding of literacy practices and teaching. Interviews and ... these disadvantages, linked to both material and human resources, have continued, and in fact become .... given access to literacy usage and variation, but ... English as their LoLT, though it may be their.

  5. Assessing an Academic Library Professional Development Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harker, Karen R.; O'Toole, Erin; Sassen, Catherine

    2018-01-01

    Professional development programs have been established in many academic libraries to support the research and scholarly activities of librarians. Continuous assessment can contribute to the sustainability and effectiveness of these programs. This study describes how measures of need, participation, satisfaction, and impact were employed to assess…

  6. Moving toward Teamwork through Professional Development Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgerald, Meghan M.; Theilheimer, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative study of three Head Start Centers analyzed surveys, interviews, and focus group data to determine how education coordinators, teachers, and teacher assistants believed professional development activities could support teamwork at their centers. The researchers sorted data related to teamwork into four categories: knowledge and…

  7. Self-assessment of professional development at work.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Evers, Arnoud

    2018-01-01

    Short discussion: What is professional development/learning at work and why is it relevant? • Filling in the questionnaire • Compare your own numbers to mean scores of teachers in the Netherlands • Focus group discussion about need for adjustment of the questions in the US context

  8. Examining the Professional Development Experiences and Non-Technical Skills Desired for Geoscience Employment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houlton, H. R.; Ricci, J.; Wilson, C. E.; Keane, C.

    2014-12-01

    Professional development experiences, such as internships, research presentations and professional network building, are becoming increasingly important to enhance students' employability post-graduation. The practical, non-technical skills that are important for succeeding during these professional development experiences, such as public speaking, project management, ethical practices and writing, transition well and are imperative to the workplace. Thereby, graduates who have honed these skills are more competitive candidates for geoscience employment. Fortunately, the geoscience community recognizes the importance of these professional development opportunities and the skills required to successfully complete them, and are giving students the chance to practice non-technical skills while they are still enrolled in academic programs. The American Geosciences Institute has collected data regarding students' professional development experiences, including the preparation they receive in the corresponding non-technical skills. This talk will discuss the findings of two of AGI's survey efforts - the Geoscience Student Exit Survey and the Geoscience Careers Master's Preparation Survey (NSF: 1202707). Specifically, data highlighting the role played by internships, career opportunities and the complimentary non-technical skills will be discussed. As a practical guide, events informed by this research, such as AGI's professional development opportunities, networking luncheons and internships, will also be included.

  9. Promoting Success: A Professional Development Coaching Program for Interns in Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palamara, Kerri; Kauffman, Carol; Stone, Valerie E; Bazari, Hasan; Donelan, Karen

    2015-12-01

    Residency is an intense period. Challenges, including burnout, arise as new physicians develop their professional identities. Residency programs provide remediation, but emotional support for interns is often limited. Professional development coaching of interns, regardless of their performance, has not been reported. Design, implement, and evaluate a program to support intern professional development through positive psychology coaching. We implemented a professional development coaching program in a large residency program. The program included curriculum development, coach-intern interactions, and evaluative metrics. A total of 72 internal medicine interns and 26 internal medicine faculty participated in the first year. Interns and coaches were expected to meet quarterly; expected time commitments per year were 9 hours (per individual coached) for coaches, 5 1/2 hours for each individual coachee, and 70 hours for the director of the coaching program. Coaches and interns were asked to complete 2 surveys in the first year and to participate in qualitative interviews. Eighty-two percent of interns met with their coaches 3 or more times. Coaches and their interns assessed the program in multiple dimensions (participation, program and professional activities, burnout, coping, and coach-intern communication). Most of the interns (94%) rated the coaching program as good or excellent, and 96% would recommend this program to other residency programs. The experience of burnout was lower in this cohort compared with a prior cohort. There is early evidence that a coaching program of interactions with faculty trained in positive psychology may advance intern development and partially address burnout.

  10. Networking and professional development among teachers of Early Childhood Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosario Mérida Serrano

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper evaluates the professional development of 24 teachers involved in the Early Childhood Education-CPD Centre for Teachers-University Network ([blind review]. Collaborative research-action is carried out with teachers and pupils of Early Childhood Education, an adviser from the Continuing Professional Development (CPD Centre for Teachers, researchers, and teacher training undergraduates from the University of [blind review] ([blind review]. Taking a qualitative approach, through interviews, focus groups, and research journals, the benefits obtained by the teachers through their involvement in the [blind review] network are identified: (1 Their colleagues offer them emotional support and provide examples of good practices; (2 The teacher training undergraduates provide technological resources and the possibility of calmly observing what goes on in the classroom; (3 The researchers foster processes of reflection about practice and endorse the validity of the Project Approach; (4 The adviser provides continuing professional development.

  11. Personally Driven Professional Development: Reflective Self-Study as a Way for Teachers to Take Control of Their Own Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attard, Karl

    2017-01-01

    This article is about personally driven professional development through the use of reflective self-study. The argument that teachers need to take responsibility for their own learning while also taking decisions on how and in what areas to develop is strongly made throughout the article. Data for this article were gathered over a 10-year period…

  12. Collaboration between colleagues in teaching professional development programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia Meyer

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Although collaboration is valued in the discourses of teachers, managers and institutions, as well as recognized as essential for innovation in universities, the culture of individualism is the one that permeates university professors’ performance. This study aims to analyze teaching professional development programs undertaken at four universities (one international and three national, from the perspective of promoting peer collaboration. The analysis occurred through the collection of publications or websites that described them. The teaching professional development programs analyzed have peer collaboration as a premise and encourage the socialization of experiences in courses, forums and other continuing education events. However, it is observed the need for strategy diversification, such as mentorship, incentive to online activities and development of collective projects, so that collaboration can really be a pillar in the pedagogical continuing education, lifelong learning, as well as in the reconfiguration and innovation of university professors’ practices.

  13. Supporting Professional Development in Special Education with Web-Based Professional Learning Communities: New Possibilities with Web 2.0

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardman, Elizabeth L.

    2012-01-01

    This article describes the challenges in organizing professional learning communities (PLCs) in special education, identifies the teacher and student benefits of using a PLC approach to professional development, and discusses the promise and pitfalls of organizing web-based PLCs to engage distributed stakeholders in the practice of special…

  14. Effect of Professional Development on Classroom Practices in Some Selected Saudi Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alghamdi, AbdulKhaliq Hajjad; Bin Sihes, Ahmad Johari

    2016-01-01

    "Scientific studies found the impact of professional development on effective classroom practices in Higher Education." This paper hypothesizes no statistically significant effect of lecturers' professional development on classroom practices in some selected Saudi Universities not as highlighted in the model. Hierarchical multiple…

  15. An Exploration of Online Environments Supporting Follow-Up to Face-to-Face Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Marybeth; Cifuentes, Lauren

    2008-01-01

    In this study we examined the effects of online follow-up and online peer interaction following a face-to face professional development workshop on attitudes towards that professional development and completion of a professional development task. School librarians were invited to work online on a three page plan outlining interventions a library…

  16. Surviving the Lunacy Act of 1890: English Psychiatrists and Professional Development during the Early Twentieth Century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takabayashi, Akinobu

    2017-04-01

    In recent decades, historians of English psychiatry have shifted their major concerns away from asylums and psychiatrists in the nineteenth century. This is also seen in the studies of twentieth-century psychiatry where historians have debated the rise of psychology, eugenics and community care. This shift in interest, however, does not indicate that English psychiatrists became passive and unimportant actors in the last century. In fact, they promoted Lunacy Law reform for a less asylum-dependent mode of psychiatry, with a strong emphasis on professional development. This paper illustrates the historical dynamics around the professional development of English psychiatry by employing Andrew Abbott's concept of professional development. Abbott redefines professional development as arising from both abstraction of professional knowledge and competition regarding professional jurisdiction. A profession, he suggests, develops through continuous re-formation of its occupational structure, mode of practice and political language in competing with other professional and non-professional forces. In early twentieth-century England, psychiatrists promoted professional development by framing political discourse, conducting a daily trade and promoting new legislation to defend their professional jurisdiction. This professional development story began with the Lunacy Act of 1890, which caused a professional crisis in psychiatry and led to inter-professional competition with non-psychiatric medical service providers. To this end, psychiatrists devised a new political rhetoric, 'early treatment of mental disorder', in their professional interests and succeeded in enacting the Mental Treatment Act of 1930, which re-instated psychiatrists as masters of English psychiatry.

  17. Supporting Teachers' Understandings of Function through Online Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silverman, Jason

    2017-01-01

    This article explores one segment of an extended research and development project that was conducted to better understand the ways online teacher professional development can support teachers' development of deep and connected mathematical understandings. In particular, this article discusses teachers' understandings of the concept of…

  18. Learning Strategies at Work and Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haemer, Hannah Deborah; Borges-Andrade, Jairo Eduardo; Cassiano, Simone Kelli

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the prediction of current and evolutionary perceptions of professional development through five learning strategies at work and through training and how individual and job characteristics predict those strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Variables were measured in a cross-sectional survey, with 962…

  19. "Flipping" educational technology professional development for K-12 educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spencer, Daniel

    As the demand for more effective professional development increases in K-12 schools, trainers must adjust their training methods to meet the needs of their teacher learners. Just as lecture-heavy, teacher-centered instruction only meet the learning needs of a small minority of students, "sit and get" professional development rarely results in the teachers gaining the skills and confidence necessary to use technology effectively in their instruction. To resolve the frustrations of teachers related to ineffective professional development, a "Flipped PD" training model was developed based on the learning needs of adult learners, the integration of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK), learning activities, and the Flipped Classroom concept. Under this model, training shifts from a passive, trainer-centered format, to an active, learner-centered format where teachers learn to use technology in their classrooms by first focusing on pedagogical issues, then choosing the options that work best for addressing those issues in their unique situation, and completing "learn-by-doing" projects. Those who participate in "Flipped PD" style trainings tend to have more confidence upon completion that they can use the tools they were trained on in their teaching, as well as believe that the PD was engaging and a good use of their time.

  20. Harnessing the Power of Learning Management Systems: An E-Learning Approach for Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Meagan; Shellenbarger, Teresa

    E-learning provides an alternative approach to traditional professional development activities. A learning management system may help nursing professional development practitioners deliver content more efficiently and effectively; however, careful consideration is needed during planning and implementation. This article provides essential information in the selection and use of a learning management system for professional development.

  1. Organizational Learning: A Review of the Literature with Implications for HRD Professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, Nancy M.

    1992-01-01

    A model of organizational learning includes information acquisition, information distribution/interpretation, meaning making, organizational memory, and information retrieval. Human resource development professionals have techniques for increasing competence in individuals, but they must also do so for organizations. (SK)

  2. Aligning Evaluation Results and Professional Development: Driving Systemic Human Capital Management Reform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrstock-Sherratt, Ellen; Jacques, Catherine

    2012-01-01

    This brief provides district and other educational leaders with research-based information on aligning professional development policies with teacher evaluations to drive more comprehensive human capital management. First, this brief describes an aligned evaluation and professional development system. Next, it discusses existing models and…

  3. Interprofessional development and implementation of a pharmacist professional advancement and recognition program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hager, David; Chmielewski, Eric; Porter, Andrea L; Brzozowski, Sarah; Rough, Steve S; Trapskin, Philip J

    2017-11-15

    The interprofessional development, implementation, and outcomes of a pharmacist professional advancement and recognition program (PARP) at an academic medical center are described. Limitations of the legacy advancement program, in combination with low rates of employee engagement in peer recognition and professional development, at the UW Health department of pharmacy led to the creation of a task force comprising pharmacists from all practice areas to develop a new pharmacist PARP. Senior leadership within the organization expanded the scope of the project to include an interprofessional work group tasked to develop guidelines and core principles that other professional staff could use to reduce variation across advancement and recognition programs. Key program design elements included a triennial review of performance against advancement standards and the use of peer review to supplement advancement decisions. The primary objective was to meaningfully improve pharmacists' engagement as measured through employee engagement surveys. Secondary outcomes of interest included the results of pharmacist and management satisfaction surveys and the program's impact on the volume and mix of pharmacist professional development activities. Of the 126 eligible pharmacists, 93 participated in the new program. The majority of pharmacists was satisfied with the program. For pharmacists who were advanced as part of the program, meaningful increases in employee engagement scores were observed, and a mean of 95 hours of professional development and quality-improvement activities was documented. Implementation of a PARP helped increase pharmacist engagement through participation in quality-improvement and professional development activities. The program also led to the creation of organizationwide interprofessional guidelines for advancement programs within various healthcare disciplines. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Implementing Action Research and Professional Learning Communities in a Professional Development School Setting to Support Teacher Candidate Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanks, Joyce

    2016-01-01

    The paper reviews teacher candidates' use of action research and the Professional Learning Community (PLC) concept to support their work in their pre-student teaching field experience. In this research study, teacher candidates are involved in a professional development school relationship that uses action research and PLCs to support candidate…

  5. Professional excellence and career advancement in nursing: a conceptual framework for clinical leadership development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adeniran, Rita Kudirat; Bhattacharya, Anand; Adeniran, Anthony A

    2012-01-01

    Increasingly, stakeholders in the health care community are recognizing nursing as key to solving the nation's health care issues. This acknowledgment provides a unique opportunity for nursing to demonstrate leadership by developing clinical nurse leaders to collaborate with the multidisciplinary care team in driving evidence-based, safe quality, cost-effective health care services. One approach for nursing success is standardizing the entry-level education for nurses and developing a uniform professional development and career advancement trajectory with appropriate incentives to encourage participation. A framework to guide and provide scientific evidence of how frontline nurses can be engaged will be paramount. The model for professional excellence and career advancement provides a framework that offers a clear path for researchers to examine variables influencing nurses' professional development and career advancement in a systematic manner. Professional Excellence and Career Advancement in Nursing underscores professional preparedness of a registered nurse as central to leadership development. It also describes the elements that influence nurses' participation in professional development and career advancement under 4 main categories emphasizing mentorship and self-efficacy as essential variables.

  6. Professional Development of HR Practitioners--A Phenomenographic Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Moira

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is an investigation into the experiences of professional development of human resource (HR) practitioners in the North of Scotland, and the use of non-formal learning in that development. Design/methodology/approach: In-depth semi-structured interviews from a purposively selected sample of HR practitioners were…

  7. Professional Reward in the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator Role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stutz-Tanenbaum, Patricia; Greene, David; Hanson, Debra J; Koski, Jeanette

    The purpose of this national survey was to explore perceptions of professional reward among occupational therapist (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs). Agreement was found in ranking the value of six role factors: (1) fieldwork data management, (2) fieldwork site management, (3) fieldwork teaching and consultation, (4) departmental and institutional compliance, (5) scholarship and accreditation, and (6) laying groundwork for students in fieldwork. Both levels of AFWC indicated teaching and consultation had the highest value and data management the least. OT AFWCs placed significantly higher value on publishing articles and lower value on educating fieldwork educators about role delineation than OTA AFWCs. Five themes emerged regarding professional reward: (1) intrinsic reward, (2) collaboration, (3) development of the profession, (4) feeling appreciated, and (5) student success. AFWCs value activities involving personal interaction, promoting professional development, and facilitating student success. Results have implications for AFWC collaboration, workload distribution, and scholarship. Copyright © 2017 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

  8. Classroom-Level Teacher Professional Development and Satisfaction: Teachers Learn in the Context of Classroom-Level Curriculum Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shawer, Saad

    2010-01-01

    This qualitative study examined the impact of classroom-level teacher professional development (CTPD) and curriculum transmission on teacher professional development and satisfaction. Based on work with English-as-a-foreign-language college teachers and students, data analysis showed that CTPD significantly improved student-teacher subject,…

  9. Multilevel Boundary Crossing in a Professional Development School Partnership

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akkerman, Sanne|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/217379788; Bruining, Ton

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to understand the recurrent challenges of professional development school (PDS) partnerships experienced by many countries. It does so by conceptualizing PDS partnerships as endeavors to cross institutionally and epistemologically developed boundaries between teacher education,

  10. Using a High-Performance Planning Model to Increase Levels of Functional Effectiveness Within Professional Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter, Peggi

    2016-01-01

    Nursing professional practice models continue to shape how we practice nursing by putting families and members at the heart of everything we do. Faced with enormous challenges around healthcare reform, models create frameworks for practice by unifying, uniting, and guiding our nurses. The Kaiser Permanente Practice model was developed to ensure consistency for nursing practice across the continuum. Four key pillars support this practice model and the work of nursing: quality and safety, leadership, professional development, and research/evidence-based practice. These four pillars form the foundation that makes transformational practice possible and aligns nursing with Kaiser Permanente's mission. The purpose of this article is to discuss the pillar of professional development and the components of the Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice model (American Nurses Association & National Nursing Staff Development Organization, 2010) and place them in a five-level development framework. This process allowed us to identify the current organizational level of practice, prioritize each nursing professional development component, and design an operational strategy to move nursing professional development toward a level of high performance. This process is suggested for nursing professional development specialists.

  11. A Prospective Study on the Application of MOOC in Teacher Professional Development in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Zhaolin; Cao, Yanhua

    2016-01-01

    Teacher professional development is the process of constantly strengthening professional attainment, broadening academic knowledge, enhancing the professional skills, and improving teaching ability. With the reform of learning science and the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the traditional mode of teacher…

  12. Valuing Professional Development Components for Emerging Undergraduate Researchers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, I.

    2015-12-01

    In 2004 the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) at Oregon State University (OSU) established a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program to engage undergraduate students in hands-on research training in the marine sciences. The program offers students the opportunity to conduct research focused on biological and ecological topics, chemical and physical oceanography, marine geology, and atmospheric science. In partnership with state and federal government agencies, this ten-week summer program has grown to include 20+ students annually. Participants obtain a background in the academic discipline, professional development training, and research experience to make informed decisions about careers and advanced degrees in marine and earth system sciences. Professional development components of the program are designed to support students in their research experience, explore career goals and develop skills necessary to becoming a successful young marine scientist. These components generally include seminars, discussions, workshops, lab tours, and standards of conduct. These componentscontribute to achieving the following professional development objectives for the overall success of new emerging undergraduate researchers: Forming a fellowship of undergraduate students pursuing marine research Stimulating student interest and understanding of marine research science Learning about research opportunities at Oregon State University "Cross-Training" - broadening the hands-on research experience Exploring and learning about marine science careers and pathways Developing science communication and presentation skills Cultivating a sense of belonging in the sciences Exposure to federal and state agencies in marine and estuarine science Academic and career planning Retention of talented students in the marine science Standards of conduct in science Details of this program's components, objectives and best practices will be discussed.

  13. Enhancing Teacher Beliefs through an Inquiry-Based Professional Development Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKeown, Tammy R; Abrams, Lisa M; Slattum, Patricia W; Kirk, Suzanne V

    2016-01-01

    Inquiry-based instructional approaches are an effective means to actively engage students with science content and skills. This article examines the effects of an ongoing professional development program on middle and high school teachers' efficacy beliefs, confidence to teach research concepts and skills, and science content knowledge. Professional development activities included participation in a week long summer academy, designing and implementing inquiry-based lessons within the classroom, examining and reflecting upon practices, and documenting ways in which instruction was modified. Teacher beliefs were assessed at three time points, pre- post- and six months following the summer academy. Results indicate significant gains in reported teaching efficacy, confidence, and content knowledge from pre- to post-test. These gains were maintained at the six month follow-up. Findings across the three different time points suggest that participation in the professional development program strongly influenced participants' fundamental beliefs about their capacity to provide effective instruction in ways that are closely connected to the features of inquiry-based instruction.

  14. Putting the PLE into PLD: Virtual Professional Learning and Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hazel Owen

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The range of affordances that a virtual environment offers can provide opportunities for more formal Professional Learning and Development (PLD that has flexibility of choice, time and approach for educators. It was this potential that inspired the design of the Virtual Professional Learning and Development (VPLD program that was instigated in October 2009 by the NZ Ministry of Education, who also funded the project. The findings from the pilot of the VPLD program in 2010 indicated that when professional learning was situated within the practitioner's context, and with complementary, easily-accessible opportunities for sharing of practice within an online Community of Practice, participants demonstrated high levels of engagement as well as changes in their own teaching practice. The VPLD Programme was facilitated and researched again during 2011, building on findings from 2010. Findings to date suggest that the educators developed a sense of self-efficacy that motivated them to trial alternative approaches, and to initiate iterative cycles of trial, error, and improvement.

  15. Teachers' perceptions of effective science, technology, and mathematics professional development and changes in classroom practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boriack, Anna Christine

    The purpose of this study is to examine teachers' perceptions of professional development and changes in classroom practice. A proposed conceptual framework for effective professional development that results in changes in classroom practices was developed. Data from two programs that provided professional development to teachers in the areas of technology, mathematics, and science was used to inform the conceptual framework. These two programs were Target Technology in Texas (T3) and Mathematics, Science, and Technology Teacher Preparation Academies (MSTTPA). This dissertation used a multiple article format to explore each program separately, yet the proposed conceptual framework allowed for comparisons to be made between the two programs. The first study investigated teachers' perceptions of technology-related professional development after their districts had received a T3 grant. An online survey was administrated to all teachers to determine their perceptions of technology-related professional development along with technology self-efficacy. Classroom observations were conducted to determine if teachers were implementing technology. The results indicated that teachers did not perceive professional development as being effective and were not implementing technology in their classrooms. Teachers did have high technology self-efficacy and perceived adequate school support, which implies that effective professional development may be a large factor in whether or not teachers implement technology in their classrooms. The second study evaluated participants' perceptions of the effectiveness of mathematics and science professional development offered through a MSTTP academy. Current and former participants completed an online survey which measured their perceptions of academy activities and school environment. Participants also self-reported classroom implementation of technology. Interviews and open-ended survey questions were used to provide further insight into

  16. Impacts of Professional Development in Classroom Assessment on Teacher and Student Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randel, Bruce; Apthorp, Helen; Beesley, Andrea D.; Clark, Tedra F.; Wang, Xin

    2016-01-01

    The authors describe an impact study of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (CASL), a widely used professional development program in classroom and formative assessment. Researchers randomly assigned 67 elementary schools to receive CASL materials or continue with regularly scheduled professional development. Teachers in CASL schools formed…

  17. Factors Related to Professional Development of English Language University Teachers in Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wichadee, Saovapa

    2012-01-01

    Professional development is deemed necessary for university teachers at all levels, as it helps to enhance teaching quality. However, the extent of English language university teachers' professional development might depend on a number of factors. This paper reports on a study investigating English language university teachers' professional…

  18. Steps for Implementing a State-Level Professional Development Plan for Secondary Transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzotti, Valerie L.; Rowe, Dawn A.; Simonsen, Monica; Boaz, Bonnie; VanAvery, Cynthia

    2018-01-01

    To scale up and sustain the use of evidence-based practices, it is imperative that state education agencies systematically implement professional development that represents best practice. By delivering quality professional development to local districts, it is more likely that transition personnel will implement transition programs and practices…

  19. Perceived Effectiveness of Professional Development Programs of Teachers at Higher Education Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, Sufiana Khatoon; Nasim, Uzma; Tabassum, Farkhanda

    2015-01-01

    The major purpose of the study was to assess the perceived effectiveness of professional development programs of teachers at higher educational level. The objectives of the study were: "to assess university level teachers'" opinion about effectiveness of professional development training with reference to quality teaching, to measure…

  20. For Teachers, by Teachers: An Exploration of Teacher-Generated Online Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodesiler, Luke

    2017-01-01

    Participatory online professional development opportunities created for teachers by teachers have emerged with the proliferation of social media. This article presents an investigation of a voluntary, participant-driven, 5-week online professional development offering in which two high school English teachers invited colleagues at a distance to…

  1. Analyzing Principal Professional Development Practices through the Lens of Adult Learning Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zepeda, Sally J.; Parylo, Oksana; Bengtson, Ed

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study sought to identify current principal professional development practices in four school systems in Georgia and to examine them by applying the principles of adult learning theory. The cross-case analysis of principal professional development initiatives in four school districts revealed nine common practices: connecting…

  2. Evaluative Decision-Making for High-Quality Professional Development: Cultivating an Evaluative Stance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumsion, Jennifer; Lunn Brownlee, Joanne; Ryan, Sharon; Walsh, Kerryann; Farrell, Ann; Irvine, Susan; Mulhearn, Gerry; Berthelsen, Donna

    2015-01-01

    Unprecedented policy attention to early childhood education internationally has highlighted the crucial need for a skilled early years workforce. Consequently, professional development of early years educators has become a global policy imperative. At the same time, many maintain that professional development research has reached an impasse. In…

  3. What Makes Professional Development Effective? Results from a National Sample of Teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garet, Michael S.; Porter, Andrew C.; Desimone, Laura; Birman, Beatrice F.; Yoon, Kwang Suk

    2001-01-01

    Used a national probability sample of 1,027 mathematics and science teachers to provide a large-scale empirical comparison of effects of different characteristics of professional development on teachers' learning. Results identify three core features of professional development that have significant positive effects on teachers' self-reported…

  4. Teacher Professional Development through Digital Content Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Kui; Kim, Min Kyu; Cheng, Sheng-Lun; Luthy, Nicole C.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, researchers designed and implemented a 1-year professional development (PD) program that focused on supporting teachers in evaluating and selecting digital learning contents. Participants in this investigation included 109 teachers who consented to the study amongst a total of 171 teachers from five school districts across central…

  5. Give Your Professional Development a Second Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheehy, Peggy

    2009-01-01

    Pursuing professional development (PD) is contractual for some, and oxygen for others. As technology has increased access to anytime-anywhere learning, many of the hurdles for conquering time and space constraints have been addressed with online learning in web-based classroom environments, webinars, and even some of the newer social networking…

  6. The formation of professional identity in medical students: considerations for educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldie, John

    2012-01-01

    Medical education is about more than acquiring an appropriate level of knowledge and developing relevant skills. To practice medicine students need to develop a professional identity--ways of being and relating in professional contexts. This article conceptualises the processes underlying the formation and maintenance of medical students' professional identity drawing on concepts from social psychology. A multi-dimensional model of identity and identity formation, along with the concepts of identity capital and multiple identities, are presented. The implications for educators are discussed. Identity formation is mainly social and relational in nature. Educators, and the wider medical society, need to utilise and maximise the opportunities that exist in the various relational settings students experience. Education in its broadest sense is about the transformation of the self into new ways of thinking and relating. Helping students form, and successfully integrate their professional selves into their multiple identities, is a fundamental of medical education.

  7. The Impact of Professional Development on Beginning Teachers’ Practices in One Secondary School

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjorie Hinds

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available A case study was conducted in 2004-2005 on the professional development experiences of beginning teachers (1-5 years of experience in an Ontario, Canada secondary school (Grades 7-12 and the impact of those experiences in improving their practices. For comparative purposes, the study included the perspectives of administrators from the same school on the impact of professional development on these teachers. The findings revealed that the literacy training program was successfully implemented at the school and positively affected beginning teachers’ knowledge, instructional strategies, and planning practices. Other findings indicated that beginning teachers needed subject content and instructional strategies, ongoing mentoring, and skills in both classroom management and mapping the curriculum. Based on the findings of the study, a new framework for professional development is suggested. A number of recommendations propose ways of connecting research, policy and practice that could ultimately improve the effectiveness of professional development programs for beginning teachers.   Key words: teacher professional development, beginning teacher, adult learning, self-efficacy, collective efficacy, supervision, organizational policies and culture

  8. E-learning and professional development--never too old to learn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Anthony

    A growing concern among healthcare professionals is the need to continually update knowledge and skills in order to enhance clinical practice. It is recognized that there are major concerns about recruitment and retention of staff within health care, and an increasing need for greater emphasis on valuing the existing workforce. This article contributes to the debate about the role of e-learning in conjunction with continuing professional development (CPD) and personal professional development. It describes how healthcare professionals utilized an innovative, self-managed, pick-up and put-down distance learning module delivered online or by CD-ROM. Staff enrolled on the module were encouraged to complete a questionnaire online or by post upon completion of each unit; to enhance validity, telephone interviews were also conducted with selected staff. Results indicate that participants showed some improvement in all categories, especially patient care where 90% of staff reported some improvement after completing the course. This particular method of teaching and learning was shown to be favoured by staff as a method of CPD, and thus has the potential to enhance patient care.

  9. Designing Education for Professional Expertise Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elvira, Quincy; Imants, Jeroen; Dankbaar, Ben; Segers, Mien

    2017-01-01

    How to facilitate learning by novices (students) on their road to expertise has attracted the attention of a vast number of researchers in cognitive and educational psychology as well in the field of learning and instruction. Although many studies have investigated the phenomenon of expertise development, the implications of the findings for…

  10. Using social media to enhance career development opportunities for health promotion professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roman, Leah A

    2014-07-01

    For health promotion professionals, social media offers many ways to engage with a broader range of colleagues; participate in professional development events; promote expertise, products, or services; and learn about career-enhancing opportunities such as funding and fellowships. Previous work has recommended "building networking into what you are already doing." This article provides updated and new social media resources, as well as practical examples and strategies to promote effective use of social media. Social media offers health promotion professionals cost-effective opportunities to enhance their career by building communities of practice, participating in professional development events, and enriching classroom learning. Developing the skills necessary to use social media for networking is important in the public health workforce, especially as social media is increasingly used in academic and practice settings. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  11. Professional Development for School Library Media Professionals: Elements for Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Carol A.; Dotson, Lana Kaye; Yontz, Elaine

    2011-01-01

    The American Association for School Librarians suggests an important mission for school librarians is to ensure personal growth through ongoing exposure to conferences, journal articles, webinars, presentations, and membership in professional organizations. As professional educators, School Librarians should exemplify the vision for being…

  12. Towards a Typology of Improvisation as a Professional Teaching Skill: Implications for Pre-Service Teacher Education Programmes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aadland, Helga; Espeland, Magne; Arnesen, Trond Egil

    2017-01-01

    In this article we discuss the concept of improvisation as a professional teaching skill. Our professional context is teacher education and our discussion is aimed at developing a categorized understanding, or rather a tentative typology, of what professional improvisation in teaching and teacher education might be. Undertaking such a bold…

  13. Professional WordPress design and development

    CERN Document Server

    Williams, Brad; Stern, Hal

    2014-01-01

    The highest rated WordPress development and design book on the market is back with an all new third edition. Professional WordPress is the only WordPress book targeted to developers, with advanced content that exploits the full functionality of the most popular CMS in the world. Fully updated to align with WordPress 4.1, this edition has updated examples with all new screenshots, and full exploration of additional tasks made possible by the latest tools and features. You will gain insight into real projects that currently use WordPress as an application framework, as well as the basic usage a

  14. Exploring the Benefits of Music-Making as Professional Development for Music Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pellegrino, Kristen

    2011-01-01

    Although much has been written about professional development in general education and music education literature, little has addressed the benefits of music-making as meaningful professional development for music teachers. For music teachers, music-making and meanings of music-making have been connected with teachers' identity, well-being,…

  15. Teachers' Online Experience: Is There a Covert Curriculum in Online Professional Development?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norton, Priscilla; Hathaway, Dawn

    2015-01-01

    Although the literature emphasizes the need for teachers to have online learning experiences in preparation for teaching online, teachers have few opportunities to experience online learning. One opportunity is online professional development. The authors hypothesized that online professional development might serve not only as a way to gain…

  16. The Process of Professional School Counselor Multicultural Competency Development: A Grounded Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berry, Jessica L.

    2013-01-01

    Professional School Counselors who work in schools with a range of student diversity are posed with a unique set of challenges which require them to develop their multicultural competencies. The following qualitative study examined the process of developing multicultural competence for four professional school counselors. The four professional…

  17. Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Education in Botswana: The Role of Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangope, Boitumelo; Mukhopadhyay, Sourav

    2015-01-01

    The continuing professional development of teachers is crucial for implementation of inclusive education and improving the quality of educational service delivery of all learners. The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore teachers' beliefs about professional development for inclusive education in two primary and two secondary schools in…

  18. Factors Influencing Teacher Instructional Practice in Mathematics When Participating in Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, William S., III

    2016-01-01

    In this research, I investigated teachers' interpretations of the goals of professional development and factors that contributed to enacted instructional practices. A multiple-case study design was used to examine the interpretations of four high school teachers participating in a year-long professional development program with a standards-based…

  19. Improving Teachers' In-Service Professional Development in Mathematics and Science: The Role of Postsecondary Institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desimone Laura; Garet, Michael S.; Birman, Beatrice F.; Porter, Andrew; Yoon, Kwang Suk

    2003-01-01

    As part of national evaluation of Eisenhower Professional Development Program, examines management and implementation strategies contributing to high-quality inservice teacher professional development in mathematics and science. Finds higher quality professional development is related to management and implementation strategies such as continuous…

  20. Professional Development For Community College Faculty: Lessons Learned From Intentional Mentoring Workshops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, A. R.; Charlevoix, D. J.

    2016-12-01

    The Geoscience Workforce Development Initiative at UNAVCO supports attracting, training, and professionally developing students, educators, and professionals in the geosciences. For the past 12 years, UNAVCO has managed the highly successful Research Experiences in Solid Earth Science for Students (RESESS) program, with the goal of increasing the diversity of students entering the geosciences. Beginning in 2015, UNAVCO added Geo-Launchpad (GLP), a summer research preparation internship for Colorado community college students to prepare them for independent research opportunities, facilitate career exploration in the geosciences, and provide community college faculty with professional development to facilitate effective mentoring of students. One core element of the Geo-Launchpad program is UNAVCO support for GLP faculty mentors. Each intern applies to the program with a faculty representative (mentor) from his or her home institution. This faculty mentor is engaged with the student throughout the summer via telephone, video chat, text message, or email. At the end of each of the past two summers, UNAVCO has hosted four GLP faculty mentors in Boulder for two days of professional development focused on intentional mentoring of students. Discussions focused on the distinction between mentoring and advising, and the array of career and professional opportunities available to students. Faculty mentors also met with the external evaluator during the mentor training and provided feedback on both their observations of their intern as well as the impact on their own professional experience. Initial outcomes include re-energizing the faculty mentors' commitment to teaching, as well as the opportunity for valuable networking activities. This presentation will focus on the ongoing efforts and outcomes of the novel faculty mentor professional development activities, and the impact these activities have on community college student engagement in the geosciences.

  1. Fostering Professional Nursing Careers in Hospitals: The Role of Staff Development, Part 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sovie, Margaret D.

    1983-01-01

    Building on the model of professional nursing careers presented in Part 1, the author discusses the aspects of professional maturation and professional mastery, focusing on the vital role of staff development for career advancement. (SK)

  2. Preservice Teachers' Microblogging: Professional Development via Twitter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpenter, Jeffrey

    2015-01-01

    Twitter has demonstrated potential to facilitate learning at the university level, and K-12 educators' use of the microblogging service Twitter to facilitate professional development appears to be on the rise. Research on microblogging as a part of teacher education is, however, limited. This paper investigates the use of Twitter by preservice…

  3. Professional Development Strategies to Enhance Nurses' Knowledge and Maintain Safe Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bindon, Susan L

    2017-08-01

    Maintaining competence is a professional responsibility for nurses. Individual nurses are accountable for their practice, as outlined in the American Nurses Association's Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Nurses across clinical settings face the sometimes daunting challenge of staying abreast of regulatory mandates, practice changes, equipment updates, and other workplace expectations. In the complex, evolving perioperative setting, professional development is a priority, and the need for ongoing education is critical. However, nurses' efforts to engage in their own development can be hampered by a lack of time, limited access to educational resources, or cost concerns. This article provides an overview of nursing professional development and offers some resources to help individual nurses maintain or enhance their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Copyright © 2017 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Continuing professional development and social accountability: a review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleet, Lisa J; Kirby, Fran; Cutler, Sarah; Dunikowski, Lynn; Nasmith, Louise; Shaughnessy, Rita

    2008-01-01

    The idea that health professionals should be accountable to the society they serve is not a new concept and by the 1990 s, the continuing professional development (CPD) of health professionals was being seen as one way in which Canadians' level of health could be improved. The public was, and is still today, increasingly demanding a system that is more responsive to regional and community needs. As a result, there is a need for more health professional education at all stages of the education continuum - undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development - that meets the health and social needs of the populations being served. The trend is now towards 'socially accountable' health care, meaning that the broader context of CPD must also include the personal, social, and political aspects of health care and as such, involve a widening of accountability to patients, the community, managers and policymakers. CPD planning must take into account local and national priorities as well as personal learning needs. However, the definition of social accountability and the stages at which it is addressed is sometimes vague and this added to the difficulty of identifying relevant studies in the literature. Nonetheless, there were some "best practices" evident via Canadian and American studies which focused on models of socially accountable CPD, as well as examples of interdisciplinary collaboration in Canada, the United States, Australia, Great Britain, and the United Arab Emirates. However, there is a definite need for increased research and publication of such "best practice" initiatives. There is also a need for Canadian health professional schools to facilitate this process by sharing their experiences and resources if possible. An extensive literature review was conducted between January and March 2004. Due to time constraints, it was limited to articles written in the English language. The databases/sources utilized included: Medline (now known as Pubmed

  5. Novice Music Teachers Learning to Improvise in an Improvisation Professional Development Workshop

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filsinger, Mark H.

    2013-01-01

    With the intent of improving music improvisation pedagogy, the purpose of this research was to examine experiences of six novice music teachers and a professional development facilitator in an eight-week Improvisation Professional Development Workshop (IPDW). The research questions were: 1. How do teachers learn to improvise within the context of…

  6. Organizational impact of nurse supply and workload on nurses continuing professional development opportunities: an integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coventry, Tracey H; Maslin-Prothero, Sian E; Smith, Gilly

    2015-12-01

    To identify the best evidence on the impact of healthcare organizations' supply of nurses and nursing workload on the continuing professional development opportunities of Registered Nurses in the acute care hospital. To maintain registration and professional competence nurses are expected to participate in continuing professional development. One challenge of recruitment and retention is the Registered Nurse's ability to participate in continuing professional development opportunities. The integrative review method was used to present Registered Nurses perspectives on this area of professional concern. The review was conducted for the period of 2001-February 2015. Keywords were: nurs*, continuing professional development, continuing education, professional development, supply, shortage, staffing, workload, nurse: patient ratio, barrier and deterrent. The integrative review used a structured approach for literature search and data evaluation, analysis and presentation. Eleven international studies met the inclusion criteria. Nurses are reluctant or prevented from leaving clinical settings to attend continuing professional development due to lack of relief cover, obtaining paid or unpaid study leave, use of personal time to undertake mandatory training and organizational culture and leadership issues constraining the implementation of learning to benefit patients. Culture, leadership and workload issues impact nurses' ability to attend continuing professional development. The consequences affect competence to practice, the provision of safe, quality patient care, maintenance of professional registration, job satisfaction, recruitment and retention. Organizational leadership plays an important role in supporting attendance at continuing professional development as an investment for the future. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Mentoring and Professional Development in Rural Head Start Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garner, Pamela W.; Carter McLean, Marsha; Waajid, Badiyyah; Pittman, Evelyn R.

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this project was to develop and pilot a small-scale professional development program that incorporated substantial group and one-on-one mentoring aimed at preparing rurally based preschool teacher assistants to earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Using a framework that emphasized the relational, developmental,…

  8. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PEDAGOGICAL AND EXECUTIVES OF THE EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ADYGEA TO IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW STANDARDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andzhela Muharbievna Shekhmirzova

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In the context of introduction of standards of a new generation, before the Russian education organizations there were tasks connected with modernization of system of professional development pedagogical and executives. Studying of a condition of education practice of professional development of the pedagogical and managerial personnel to implementation of innovative activities according to requirements of new standards, showed that it can’t flexibly react to changes of requests of modern society and provide high quality of education. Basic reasons of practical difficulties are connected with lack of complete system of professional development of pedagogical and leading employees of the general and vocational education to implementation of requirements of standards of new generation on condition of their coordinate collective interaction. The purpose of research – presentation of an innovative model of training and retraining of teachers and executives of the educational system in Republic of Adygea, focused on ensuring their readiness for implementation of the requirements of the new standards taking into account the National System of Teacher Growth. Method or methodology of work: in the article presents a set of theoretical and empirical methods of pedagogical research. Results: in the context of the innovation model the levels of readiness of pedagogical and managerial staff of the system of general and professional education in the territory of the Republic of Adygea to innovative activities to implement the requirements of the new generation standards are revealed taking into account the National System of Teacher Growth. Practical implications: The results of the study can form a basis to the managerial strategy of the general education organizations in Republic of Adygea in case of the solution of urgent tasks on implementation of the planned results of training according to requirements of new standards and improvement of quality of

  9. Assessing a GTA professional development program

    OpenAIRE

    Alicea-Muñoz, Emily; Masip, Joan Espar; Sullivan, Carol Subiño; Schatz, Michael F.

    2018-01-01

    For the last four years, the School of Physics at Georgia Tech have been preparing new Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) through a program that integrates pedagogy, physics content, and professional development strategies. Here we discuss various assessments we have used to evaluate the program, among them surveys, GTA self-reporting, and end-of-semester student evaluations. Our results indicate that GTAs who participate in the program find its practical activities useful, feel better prepa...

  10. Developing a professional poster: four "ps" for advanced practice nurses to consider.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bindon, Susan L; Davenport, Joan M

    2013-01-01

    Professional posters play an important role in the dissemination of knowledge and the professional development of advanced practice nurses, graduate students, and clinical faculty. Posters should be considered an integral component in communication of professional work in practice, research, and education. The invitation to submit a poster abstract is an important opportunity for clinicians and faculty alike to consider. Though sometimes misperceived as less prestigious than a podium presentation, posters add a unique element to professional and academic events. The argument is made for posters as an equal among scholarly presentation formats. The poster serves as a tremendous opportunity for collaboration between partners and a way to communicate important findings and advertise the presenters' work. For the advanced practice nurse who is a novice in presenting best practice or evidence from research trials, the poster format may be less intimidating while allowing the invaluable sharing of results. Four critical elements of professional poster development are deciding on a clear Purpose, targeting the right People, outlining key steps in the Process, and delivering a memorable Presentation. Using the "4 Ps" as cornerstones for the work of developing, preparing, and delivering the poster to an audience, the authors aim to help organize the entire process into these essential considerations. The poster, as a means of scholarly work, is a viable and essential activity, as interdisciplinary collaboration and sharing of best practice becomes the expectation for all professional development.

  11. Work motivation among healthcare professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kjellström, Sofia; Avby, Gunilla; Areskoug-Josefsson, Kristina; Andersson Gäre, Boel; Andersson Bäck, Monica

    2017-06-19

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore work motivation among professionals at well-functioning primary healthcare centers subject to a national healthcare reform which include financial incentives. Design/methodology/approach Five primary healthcare centers in Sweden were purposively selected for being well-operated and representing public/private and small/large units. In total, 43 interviews were completed with different medical professions and qualitative deductive content analysis was conducted. Findings Work motivation exists for professionals when their individual goals are aligned with the organizational goals and the design of the reform. The centers' positive management was due to a unique combination of factors, such as clear direction of goals, a culture of non-hierarchical collaboration, and systematic quality improvement work. The financial incentives need to be translated in terms of quality patient care to provide clear direction for the professionals. Social processes where professionals work together as cohesive groups, and provided space for quality improvement work is pivotal in addressing how alignment is created. Practical implications Leaders need to consistently translate and integrate reforms with the professionals' drives and values. This is done by encouraging participation through teamwork, time for structured reflection, and quality improvement work. Social implications The design of the reforms and leadership are essential preconditions for work motivation. Originality/value The study offers a more complete picture of how reforms are managed at primary healthcare centers, as different medical professionals are included. The value also consists of showing how a range of aspects combine for primary healthcare professionals to successfully manage external reforms.

  12. Astronomy on Tap as a Professional Development Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Emily; Burtnyk, Kimberly; Silverman, Jeffrey; Popinchalk, Mark; Constellation of Astronomy On Tap Host Stars

    2018-01-01

    We lured scientists, educators, and other astronomy enthusiasts into bars around the world with promises of fun public outreach, but we secretly provided them with networking opportunities and taught them how to be better communicators! Astronomy on Tap (AoT) events began in New York City in 2013, and since then nearly 400 events (featuring 1-6 presenters each) have been organized by over 100 people in over 30 locations across the U.S. and around the world. Implicit in the design of typical AoT events are opportunities for professional development in several areas, most prominently in networking and science communication. We surveyed organizers and presenters to assess the extent to which they have benefited from these opportunities. We report results from that survey and present plans for codifying professional development aspects of AoT events for future implementation.

  13. Information professionals: core competencies and professional development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávia Ferreira

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. We discuss the concept of core competencies applied to policies for teaching and training information professionals, particularly librarians. Method. Sixty graduates of the Institute were employed as information professionals. These sixty were asked to attribute degrees of importance to specific items associated with knowledge and skills that, within the scope of this research, were considered core competencies for meeting the demands of their jobs. Participants were also asked to cite knowledge they acquired in school and knowledge they use in exercising their profession, the skills that they consider necessary but that they did not gain in school, and the difficulties they encounter in exercising their profession and for which they were not sufficiently well prepared. Analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative data analyses were performed. The data were tabulated using Access and several reports and cross-tabulations were generated. Results. The results suggest a gulf between knowledge and skills acquired in library school and those that are required by the job market. In particular, participants lacked the skills they needed to work with information and communication technologies. Conclusion. The concept of core competencies is increasingly taken into account by the productive sector of the economy. The educational system ought to keep up with this change. The empirical research described shows that there is a need to establish advanced and modern policies for the education of librarians, participants in the market for information professionals.

  14. Konsep Continuing Professional Development (CPD dalam Pengembangan Profesionalisme Pustakawan Universitas Negeri Semarang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Z. Eko Handoyo

    2016-09-01

    attention. The objective of the study is to find out the implementation of CPD concept in efforts to develop library profession at Semarang State University. Respondents consisted of 40 librarians, comprising those working at the main library (22 librarians and at the departemental or faculty libraries. The study used quantitative method the result showed that (1 the librarians were not yet familiar with CPD concept; (2 UNNES Library has not implemented CPD concept in developing its professional librarians, (3 UNNES has not had a clear policy commitment in developing its professional librarians, (4 Continuous efforts have to be made in order to develop professional librarians at UNNES with the support of the university leaders.

  15. Preparing Adults to Work with Youth: An Environmental Scan of Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Gerdes

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This feature article shares the results of a national environmental scan conducted to identify professional development programs offered for school age providers across the nation through the Cooperative Extension System. A purposeful sample comprised of representatives from state extension offices throughout the country included 135 respondents from 48 states. Results showed 139 professional development programs for school age providers were offered through the Cooperative Extension System. The majority of programs offered professional development in the areas of health, nutrition, safety, youth development, and quality afterschool environments. This article summarizes the findings of the environmental scan, including number of contact hours, program scope, and program partners, as well as discussion and recommendations for future work in this area.

  16. An Analysis of Personal and Professional Development in the United States Navy

    OpenAIRE

    Filiz, Caner; Jean-Pierre, Markelly

    2012-01-01

    Employee development is among the most important functions of any organization. Since employees are arguably an organizations most important asset, organizations have an incentive to invest in, direct, and promote the development of their employees. As an organization, the U.S. Navy, too, provides for the personal and professional development of naval personnel. This thesis reviews the Navys personal and professional development program and examines possible use of 360-degree feedback in the ...

  17. INDONESIAN EFL TEACHERS STUDYING OVERSEAS: FEELINGS, EXPECTATIONS, AND PERSPECTIVES ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bambang Yudi Cahyono

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available One of the ways to develop English teachers' professional competence is by sending them to study in a graduate program in English language education. Sending English teachers to pursue their higher level of education is one of the policies taken by the Government of East Java to improve English teachers' professional competence. In response to the Government of East Java's policy, teachers were selected to study in a graduate program with a sandwich study. The sandwich takes the format of "in-house training" held at State University of Malang and overseas study in Angeles University Foundation, Philippine. This article explores the English teachers' feelings, expectations, and perspectives on professional development with regard to the opportunity in studying overseas. The results of the study show that studying overseas contributed to professional development of the English teachers participating in the sandwich study program during their graduate education.

  18. United States Army Officer Professional Development: Black Officers' Perspectives

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Johnson, Craig

    1997-01-01

    .... Even so, they have not fared statistically as well as their majority contemporaries. These statistics pose interesting questions about black officer professional development and career progress...

  19. A Case Study of Coaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeChenne, Sue Ellen; Nugent, Gwen; Kunz, Gina; Luo, Linlin; Berry, Brandi; Craven, Katherine; Riggs, April

    2012-01-01

    A professional development experience for science and mathematics teachers that included coaches was provided for ten science and math teachers. This professional development experience had the teachers develop a lesson that utilized the engineering context to teach a science or mathematics concept through guided inquiry as an instructional…

  20. Foreign language as a tool for professional mobility development for students specialising in economics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Polenova Anna, YU.

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers the practical aspects of professional mobility development for students specializing in Economics by means of foreign language. It is noted that the potential of a foreign language is not used in full since training in this discipline is delivered separately with the development of professional competence of the future expert. The article analyzes the existing experience of teaching English at non- linguistic faculties using CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning approach. The article suggests the ways of professional mobility development by means of foreign language. It discusses the advantages of innovative teaching, which is aimed at meeting the professional and educational needs of students, the development of professional mobility and creative thinking. It is concluded that studying a foreign language and non-language subject at the same time is an additional means to achieve high educational outcomes.

  1. PROFESSIONAL AMBITION: AMBITION AS A MOTIVE OF PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF PERSON

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oksana V. Barsukova

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The article reveals the content of ambition as a motive, guiding the professional growth and career advancement of the person. Ambition in this case fulfils the function of achieving the social recognition, which is specified in getting the deserved recognition due to the professional achievements of the person. Professional ambition - is the human desire to get deserved recognition of the professional community as a professional for real progress and achievements in the chosen field. Professional ambition is discussed in more detail on the example of pedagogical ambition and moral aspect –on the example of ambitions of scientists and criminals.

  2. Approaches and Activities of Professional Development During Graduate/Postdoctoral Summer Workshops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, N. A.; Wiltberger, M. J.; Hughes, W. J.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Schrijver, K.; Bagenal, F.; Sojka, J. J.; Munoz-Jaramillo, A.

    2017-12-01

    NSF and NASA each fund a space physics summer school - the Space Weather Summer School (https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/CISM-Summer-School) and the Heliophysics Summer School (https://cpaess.ucar.edu/heliophysics/summer-school) - each of which provide a comprehensive introduction to their fields at the conceptual and quantitative level for graduate and postdoctoral researchers. Along with specific content goals, each summer school also recognizes professional development goals for the students. Each school intentionally develops community among the summer school students to promote professional networking between the students and between students and instructors. Community is promoted both as part of the formal program and through informal gatherings and outings. Social media is intentionally used for this purpose as well. The summer schools also promote practice with discussing science concepts in small groups through peer instruction, practice presenting in small groups, and discussing results with minimal preparation. Short formal student presentations and poster sessions are organized as part of the formal schedule of one of the summer schools. Much of the professional development work is informed by improvisational theater approaches. Group improv training focuses on the development of the group or the community rather than the individual. Group improv activities are used to build the group and encourage full participation. This talk will outline the professional development activities in each school and how they are informed by improv.

  3. Online professional development for digitally differentiated nurses: An action research perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, J K; Huntington, A D

    2017-01-01

    Professional development opportunities for nurses are increasingly being offered in the online environment and therefore it is imperative that learning designers, nurse educators and healthcare organisations consider how best to support staff to enable Registered Nurses to capitalise on the resources available. Research participants explored educational strategies to support digitally differentiated nurses' engagement with professional development activities in an online environment through a participatory action research project that collected data over a 16 month period through six focus groups before being analysed thematically. The reality of work-based, e-learning while managing clinical workloads can be problematic however specific measures, such as having a quiet space and computer away from the clinical floor, access to professional development resources from anywhere and at any time, can be effective. A 'one-size-fits-all' approach to resources offered will not meet the needs of diverse staffing groups whereas heutagogical learning offers tangible benefits to Registered Nurses seeking professional development opportunities in this context. Apparent proficiency with technological skills may not reflect a Registered Nurse's actual ability in this environment and face-to-face support offered regularly, rather than remedially, can be beneficial for some staff. Implementing specific strategies can result in successful transition to the online environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. An Assessment of Need for Instructional Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers Using Interactive Lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, Amanda

    Numerous studies on the impact of interactive lessons on student learning have been conducted, but there has been a lack of professional development (PD) programs at a middle school focusing on ways to incorporate interactive lessons into the science classroom setting. The purpose of this case study was to examine the instructional practices of science teachers to determine whether the need for an interactive lessons approach to teaching students exists. This qualitative case study focused on teachers' perceptions and pedagogy to determine whether the need to use interactive lessons to meet the needs of all students is present. The research question focused on identifying current practices and determining whether a need for interactive lessons is present. Qualitative data were gathered from science teachers at the school through interviews, lesson plans, and observations, all of which were subsequently coded using an interpretative analysis. The results indicated the need for a professional development (PD) program centered on interactive science lessons. Upon completion of the qualitative study, a detailed PD program has been proposed to increase the instructional practices of science teachers to incorporate interactive lessons within the science classroom. Implications for positive social change include improved teaching strategies and lessons that are more student-centered resulting in better understanding and comprehension, as well as performance on state-mandated tests.

  5. Assessing the professional development needs of experienced nurse executive leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leach, Linda Searle; McFarland, Patricia

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to identify the professional development topics that senior nurse leaders believe are important to their advancement and success. Senior/experienced nurse leaders at the executive level are able to influence the work environment of nurses and institutional and health policy. Their development needs are likely to reflect this and other contemporary healthcare issues and may be different from middle and frontline managers. A systematic way of assessing professional development needs for these nurse leaders is needed. A descriptive study using an online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of nurse leaders who were members of the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) or have participated in an ACNL program. Visionary leadership, leading complexity, and effective teams were the highest ranked leadership topics. Leading change, advancing health: The future of nursing, healthy work environments, and healthcare reform were also highly ranked topics. Executive-level nurse leaders are important to nurse retention, effective work environments, and leading change. Regular assessment and attention to the distinct professional development needs of executive-level nurse leaders are a valuable human capital investment.

  6. When Every Day Is Professional Development Day

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tienken, Christopher H.; Stonaker, Lew

    2007-01-01

    In the Monroe Township (New Jersey) Public Schools, teachers' learning occurs daily, not just on one day in October and February. Central office and school-level administrators foster job-embedded teacher growth. Every day is a professional development day in the district, but that has not always been so. How did the district become a system with…

  7. Q&A: Lead Pipe on Professional Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Editorial Board

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This week, In the Library with Lead Pipe fields professional development and career questions from library school students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The questions they asked ranged from committee work to composing cover letters to conference attendance. Here is the complete list (so you can jump around if you like: [...

  8. Creating a Culture of Professional Development for Oncology Nursing in Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Myungsun

    2016-01-01

    The importance of professional development of oncology nursing in Asia is growing along with growth in the cancer burden and disparity in cancer incidence and mortality between more- and less-developed regions, the latter of which includes most Asian countries. This paper proposes ways to advance the oncology nursing in terms of education, practice, and research in Asia. It also describes major challenges expected in developing and implementing a unique professional role for oncology nurses in Asia. This study will provide insights for Asian oncology nurses in developing culturally sensitive oncology nursing practices with limited health care resources.

  9. Contributions of blended learning training to teacher professional development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Duarte Hueros

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The central theme of this study is the analysis of a balanced integrated teaching methodology (face-to-face and virtual, as blended learning and the extent of its implementation in teacher training, as well as the importance of leadership in planning, supervising and coordinating this process. We began with a systematic review of the literature of the last 15 years (2002-2017 on the Web of Science (WOS, the most highly rated database in the scientific community. We identified 190 studies related to blended learning, professional teaching development and leadership in education. We then selected 163 documents that fell specifically into the educational research category, of which 75 were articles. We further fine-tuned the search by excluding those articles related to research fields other than teachers’ professional development, and arrived at 35 articles that fulfilled our preliminary criteria. We reduced the sample to the 24 articles that contained all the features required by our investigation. The results show that blended learning is a valuable training tool that enables teachers to acquire competences and which can aid their professional development; it can also foment collaborative work, augment teachers’ technical and didactic skills around technology, promote interdisciplinary experiences and help teachers to share innovations, etc., among other potential outcomes.

  10. Development of an inter-professional screening instrument for cancer patients' education process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaartio-Rajalin, Heli; Huumonen, Tuula; Iire, Liisa; Jekunen, Antti; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Minn, Heikki; Paloniemi, Jenni; Zabalegui, Adelaida

    2016-02-01

    The aim of this paper is to describe the development of an inter-professional screening instrument for cancer patients' cognitive resources, knowledge expectations and inter-professional collaboration within patient education. Four empirical datasets during 2012-2014 were analyzed in order to identify main categories, subcategories and items for inter-professional screening instrument. Our inter-professional screening instrument integrates the critical moments of cancer patient education and the knowledge expectation types obtained from patient datasets to assessment of patients' cognitive resources, knowledge expectations and comprehension; and intra; and inter-professional. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Strategies to facilitate professional development of the occupational health nurse in the occupational health setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolene de Jager

    2016-10-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs for professional development of the OHN in the occupational health setting. Method: An explorative, descriptive, contextual generic and qualitative research method was used in this study. The purposive sampling method was used as the OHNs surveyed described their personal need for professional development in the occupational health setting. Data was collected by means of semi-structured individual interviews. Eight interviews were done by an interviewer who held a doctoral degree in community health nursing and a qualification in occupational health and was affiliated with a private occupational health institution at the time of the study. The interviews were conducted during August 2012. Results: The OHNs reported that professional development needs have to be identified by the OHNs. Short courses need to be designed by training institutions and should be attended by the OHNs to improve their operational functioning on a day-to-day basis in the occupational health setting. The OHNs experienced that their role and function in the workplace were not valued by their managers. The results of this study revealed four major themes, namely constraints hindering the OHN in developing professionally, positive aspects identified by the OHNs regarding the need for professional development, professional development needs of the OHN and suggestions of how to meet the OHNs' professional development needs. Conclusion: There is a need for OHNs to identify their professional development needs and recommendations were made to meet these needs.

  12. Expecting the Exceptional: Pre-Service Professional Development in Global Citizenship Education

    OpenAIRE

    Appleyard, Natalie; McLean, Lorna R

    2011-01-01

    This case study analyses a professional development (PD) program in global citizenship education (GCE) that seeks to develop teacher education candidates’ knowledge and capacities as global citizens during a one-year Bachelor of Education program. In particular, we explore how pre-service teachers perceived and experienced PD in GCE as a component of their professional learning and how this knowledge related to their understanding of curricula and pedagogical practices. First, we explore a mo...

  13. Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Suzanne Perea; Pickens, Noralyn Davel

    2017-08-01

    To explore inter-professional home evaluators' perspectives and needs for building useful and acceptable decision-support tools for the field of home modifications. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of home modification professionals from different regions of the United States. The interview transcripts were analyzed with a qualitative, descriptive, perspective approach. Technology supports current best practice and has potential to inform decision making through features that could enhance home evaluation processes, quality, efficiency and inter-professional communication. Technological advances with app design have created numerous opportunities for the field of home modifications. Integrating technology and inter-professional best practices will improve home safety evaluation and intervention development to meet client-centred and societal needs. Implications for rehabilitation Understanding home evaluators technology needs for home safety evaluations contributes to the development of app-based assessments. Integrating inter-professional perspectives of best practice and technological needs in an app for home assessments improves processes. Novice and expert home evaluators would benefit from decision support systems embedded in app-based assessments. Adoption of app-based assessment would improve efficiency while remaining client-centred.

  14. Drivers of professional mobility in the Northern Territory: dental professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, D J; Garnett, S T; Barnes, T; Stevens, M

    2007-01-01

    Attracting and retaining an efficient allied health workforce is a challenge faced by communities in Australia and overseas. High rates of staff turnover in the professional workforce diverts resources away from core business and results in the loss of valuable skills and knowledge. Understanding what attracts professionals to a particular place, and why they leave, is important for developing effective strategies to manage turnover and maximise workforce productivity. The Northern Territory (NT) faces particular workforce challenges, in part because of its geographic location and unusual demography. Do these factors require the development of a tailored approach to recruitment and retention? This article reports on a study undertaken to examine the motivations for coming to, staying in and leaving the NT for dental professionals, and the implications of results on workforce management practices. In 2006, dentists, dental specialists, dental therapists and dental hygienists who were working or had worked in the NT, Australia, in the recent past were surveyed to collect demographic and workforce data and to establish the relative importance of social and work-related factors influencing their migration decisions. Multivariate logistic regression models were generated to describe the demographic characteristics of dental professionals who stayed in the NT for more than 5 years and to analyse why dental professionals left. The analyses, based on a 42% response rate, explained 60-80% of the variation in responses. Generally dental professionals who had stayed for more than 5 years were older, had invested in the purchase of homes and were more involved in social and cultural activities. Those who moved to the NT as a result of financial incentives or who had strong expectations that working in the NT would be an exciting, novel experience tended to stay for no more than 5 years, often leaving because they found the work environment too stressful. In contrast, those who

  15. Healthcare professionals' perspectives on environmental sustainability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunphy, Jillian L

    2014-06-01

    shift to environmentally responsible practice without support from institutions and professional associations. Professional development is required to support this endeavour. The poor transference of pro-ecological behaviour from one setting to another is likely to have international implications for healthcare practice. © The Author(s) 2013.

  16. Emergency Medicine Resident Perceptions of Medical Professionalism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jauregui, Joshua; Gatewood, Medley O; Ilgen, Jonathan S; Schaninger, Caitlin; Strote, Jared

    2016-05-01

    be useful to educators. Explanations for these differences are hypothesized, as are the potential implications for professionalism education. Because teaching professional behavior is taught most effectively via behavior modeling, faculty awareness of resident values and faculty development to address potential gaps may improve professionalism education.

  17. Organisational development in general practice: lessons from practice and professional development plans (PPDPs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hocking Paul

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Improving the quality and effectiveness of clinical practice is becoming a key task within all health services. Primary medical care, as organised in the UK is composed of clinicians who work in independent partnerships (general practices that collaborate with other health care professionals. Although many practices have successfully introduced innovations, there are no organisational development structures in place that support the evolution of primary medical care towards integrated care processes. Providing incentives for attendance at passive educational events and promoting 'teamwork' without first identifying organisational priorities are interventions that have proved to be ineffective at changing clinical processes. A practice and professional development plan feasibility study was evaluated in Wales and provided the experiential basis for a summary of the lessons learnt on how best to guide organisational development systems for primary medical care. Results Practice and professional development plans are hybrids produced by the combination of ideas from management (the applied behavioural science of organisational development and education (self-directed adult learning theories and, in conceptual terms, address the lack of effectiveness of passive educational strategies by making interventions relevant to identified system wide needs. In the intervention, each practice participated in a series of multidisciplinary workshops (minimum 4 where the process outcome was the production of a practice development plan and a set of personal portfolios, and the final outcome was a realised organisational change. It was apparent during the project that organisational admission to a process of developmental planning needed to be a stepwise process, where initial interest can lead to a fuller understanding, which subsequently develops into motivation and ownership, sufficient to complete the exercise. The advantages of

  18. Factors That Develop Effective Professional Learning Communities in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Peiying; Lee, Che-Di; Lin, Hongda; Zhang, Chun-Xi

    2016-01-01

    This research aimed to investigate the key factors of developing effective professional learning communities (PLCs) within the Taiwanese context. Four constructs--supportive and shared leadership, shared visions, collegial trust, and shared practices--were adopted and developed into an instrument for measuring PLC function. A stratified random…

  19. Identity Formation: Professional Development in Practice Strengthens a Sense of Self

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackay, Margaret

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores how practitioners in a hostile context make sense of continuing professional development (CPD). Critics worldwide question the professional status of human resources seeing the function as an underdog to well-established professions. The study uses an interpretivist approach to examine the conceptual interweaving of learning…

  20. Positioning Sex Educators: A Critical Ethnography of a Professional Development Workshop

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Brigitte C.

    2013-01-01

    In this ethnographic research, I offer an analysis of a state-sponsored professional development workshop for sex educators. Positioning theory is used to understand how the lived space of the workshop -- including texts, talk and silence -- positions sex education teachers as professionals and practitioners with certain (limited) speaking rights…