Partnering for Professional Development

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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…

Online Teaching Efficacy: A Product of Professional Development and Ongoing Support.

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Richter, Sally; Idleman, Lynda

2017-08-22

The purpose of the pilot study was to investigate the perceptions of online teaching efficacy of nursing faculty who teach courses in which 51% or more of the content is offered online. Bandura's psychological construct of self-efficacy served as the conceptual framework. The research survey was administered to nursing faculty in a state university system located in the southeastern United States of America, plus two private universities. The Michigan Nurse Educator's Sense of Efficacy for Online Teaching Scale, which contains 32 items that measure how nurse educators judge their current capabilities for teaching online nursing courses, was used to gather data. Overall, the scores reflected that faculty perceived themselves as quite a bit efficacious on a scale that ranged from 1 to 9. As nursing educators received more support in designing and implementing online courses, their efficacy increased. It is critical that faculty are supported on an ongoing basis to increase and develop online teaching skills in order to teach high-quality courses in online programs. Faculty members must also be recognized for their work, time, and commitment required to be effective online educators. The findings of this study revealed those participants who had a number of professional development supports and release time to develop online courses have a greater sense of efficacy.

Canonical correlation analysis of professional stress,social support,and professional burnout among low-rank army officers

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Chuan-yun LI

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Objective The present study investigates the influence of professional stress and social support on professional burnout among low-rank army officers.Methods The professional stress,social support,and professional burnout scales among low-rank army officers were used as test tools.Moreover,the officers of established units(battalion,company,and platoon were chosen as test subjects.Out of the 260 scales sent,226 effective scales were received.The descriptive statistic and canonical correlation analysis models were used to analyze the influence of each variable.Results The scores of low-rank army officers in the professional stress,social support,and professional burnout scales were more than average,except on two factors,namely,interpersonal support and de-individualization.The canonical analysis identified three groups of canonical correlation factors,of which two were up to a significant level(P < 0.001.After further eliminating the social support variable,the canonical correlation analysis of professional stress and burnout showed that the canonical correlation coefficients P corresponding to 1 and 2 were 0.62 and 0.36,respectively,and were up to a very significant level(P < 0.001.Conclusion The low-rank army officers experience higher professional stress and burnout levels,showing a lower sense of accomplishment,emotional exhaustion,and more serious depersonalization.However,social support can reduce the onset and seriousness of professional burnout among these officers by lessening pressure factors,such as career development,work features,salary conditions,and other personal factors.

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

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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

WikiBuild: A New Application to Support Patient and Health Care Professional Involvement in the Development of Patient Support Tools

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Active patient and public involvement as partners in their own health care and in the development of health services is key to achieving a health care system that is responsive to patients’ needs and values. It promotes better use of the health care system, and improves health outcomes, quality of life and patient satisfaction. By involving patients and health care professionals as partners in the creation and updating of patient health support tools, wikis—highly accessible, interactive vehicles of communication—have the potential to empower users to implement these support tools in daily life. Acknowledging the potential of wikis, and recognizing that they capitalize on the free and open access to information, scientists, opinion leaders and patient advocates have suggested that wikis could help decision-making constituencies improve the delivery of health care. They might also decrease its cost and improve access to knowledge within developing countries. However, little is known about the efficacy of wikis in helping to attain these goals. There is also a need to know more about the intention of patients and health care workers to use wikis, in what circumstances and what factors will influence their use of wikis. In this issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Gupta et al describe how they developed and tested a new wiki-inspired application to improve asthma care. The researchers involved patients with asthma, primary care physicians, pulmonologists and certified asthma educators in the construction of an asthma action plan. Their paper—entitled “WikiBuild: a new online collaboration process for multistakeholder tool development and consensus building”—is the first description of a wiki-inspired technology built to involve patients and health care professionals in the development of a patient support tool. This innovative study has made important contributions toward how wikis could be generalized to involve multiple stakeholders in

Grounding our practice in nursing professional development.

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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.

IT-support for healthcare professionals acting in major incidents

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Kristensen, Margit; Kyng, Morten; Nielsen, Esben Toftdahl

2005-01-01

This paper focuses on development of it support for healthcare professionals acting in major incidents. We introduce the participatory design approach as adequate for analysis, design and development of technologies for use in complex environments and situations, and describe the actual...... the BlueBio biomonitor prototype, a wireless multifunction biomonitor. BlueBio data can be accessed by the healthcare professionals independent of where they are located and displayed on different types of devices tailored to the needs of the individual professional. Finally we discuss some challenges...

Exploring Elements That Support Teachers Engagement in Online Professional Development

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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…

SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN BECOMING AGENTS OF SOCIAL COHESION: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA

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Rada Jancic Mogliacci

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Policy and research have been advocating the importance of teachers in achieving equity and teachers are called to act as agents of social justice. This issue remains central to the development of a post-apartheid South Africa, where a need for reconciliation and healing still dominates the society. Such a landscape requires adequate support through transformative professional development. In this paper we analyse the design of the intervention ‘Teaching Respect for All’ that aims to empower teachers in South Africa to act as agents of social justice. Based on the literature review, content analysis of the intervention’s manual and resource book, and interviews with stakeholders we explore if the intervention outline can support teachers in becoming agents of social cohesion. The qualitative content analysis of the data unearthed four aspects of the intervention: the what, the how, the why, and the so what. We argue that while the intervention enables an alteration of teaching practice, altering teachers’ beliefs is a long-lasting and more challenging task. We conclude the paper with recommendations for transformative professional development programmes and the value of such for socially just education in South Africa.

The relationship between continuing education and perceived competence, professional support, and professional value among clinical psychologists.

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Bradley, Stacy; Drapeau, Martin; Destefano, Jack

2012-01-01

Continuing education is one of the means by which professionals maintain and increase their level of competence. However, the relationship between continuing education and the professional's sense of personal competence and other practice-related variables remains unclear. This study examined practicing psychologists' continuing education activities and how these relate to feelings of perceived competence, professional value, and professional support. Psychologists (n = 418) licensed to practice in Quebec were surveyed by pencil-and-paper mail-in survey concerning their continuing education activities, as well as their perceptions of their competence in practice, and their feelings of being professionally valued and professionally supported. Results indicated that feelings of competence in practice were related to professional reading, taking courses/workshops, years being licensed, and attending psychology conferences/conventions. Feelings of professional value were related to age and participating in psychology networking groups, and feelings of professional support were related to participating in case discussion groups, supervision groups, and psychology networking groups. The results showcase the complexity of professional development. Although relationships were found between continuing education activities and the 3 factors of interest, these relationships were moderate. Findings are discussed in the context of their value to individual psychologists, as well as to psychology licensing and regulatory boards, such as promoting participation in those activities related to feelings of competence and support. Copyright © 2012 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Exemplary Programs Supporting Teacher Professional Development in the U.S.A.

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Passow, Michael J.

2015-04-01

By Law, there is no national curriculum in the U.S.A., so each State sets its own regulations for teacher certification and professional development. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards) provide guidelines for teacher training and curriculum development in Earth Science, Life Science, and the physical sciences (chemistry and biology). Presented here are examples of effective programs designed to support in-service Earth Science teachers, especially at the middle school and high school level (grades 6 - 12, ages 12 - 18). The Earth2Class Workshops for Teachers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (E2C) provides monthly gatherings of research scientists and teachers to learn about cutting-edge investigations in a wide variety of fields, and develop lesson plans to share these discoveries. The E2C website, www.earth2class.org/site, also provides a wide variety of educational resources used by teachers and students to learn about the planet. The National Earth Science Teachers Association (www.nestanet.org) is the largest professional society focused on pre-college Earth Science education. Together with its partner, Windows to the Universe (www.windows2universe.org), NESTA offers workshops and other programs at national and regional teacher conferences, a quarterly journal designed for classroom use, monthly E-Newsletters, and one of the largest collection of web resources in education. For more than twenty years, the American Meteorological Society has trained teachers across the country through its online courses: DataStreme Weather, DataStreme Ocean, and DataStreme Earth's Climate System (www.ametsoc.org/amsedu). Informal science education institutions also provide strong in-person and web-based professional development programs. Among these are the American Museum of Natural History's "Seminars on Science" (http://www.amnh.org/learn/) and many programs for educators

Using Video to Support In-Service Teacher Professional Development: The State of the Field, Limitations and Possibilities

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Major, Louis; Watson, Steven

2018-01-01

Video is increasingly used to support in-service teacher professional development (TPD). Advances in affordability and usability of technology mean that interest is set to develop further. Studies in this area are diverse in terms of scale, methodology and context. This places limitations on undertaking a systematic review; therefore the authors…

#Digitalfaith: Using Social Media for Professional Development

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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…

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

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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.

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

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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.

Development of a training program to support health care professionals to deliver the SPACE for COPD self-management program

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Blackmore C

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Claire Blackmore,1 Vicki L Johnson-Warrington,2 Johanna EA Williams,2 Lindsay D Apps,2 Hannah ML Young,2 Claire LA Bourne,2 Sally J Singh2 1Kettering General Hospital National Health Service (NHS Trust, Kettering, Northamptonshire, 2Centre for Exercise and Rehabilitation Science, Leicester Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK Background: With the growing burden of COPD and associated morbidity and mortality, a need for self-management has been identified. The Self-management Programme of ­Activity, Coping and Education for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPACE for COPD manual was developed to support self-management in COPD patients. Currently, there is no literature available regarding health care professionals’ training needs when supporting patients with COPD on self-management.Aim: This study sought to identify these needs to inform, design and develop a training program for health care professionals being trained to deliver a self-management program in COPD.Methods: Fourteen health care professionals from both primary and secondary care COPD services participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to produce a framework and identify training needs and views on delivery of the SPACE for COPD self-management program. Components of training were web-based knowledge training, with pre- and posttraining knowledge questionnaires, and a 1-day program to introduce the self-management manual. Feedback was given after training to guide the development of the training program.Results: Health care professionals were able to identify areas where they required increased knowledge to support patients. This was overwhelming in aspects of COPD seen to be outside of their current clinical role. Skills in goal setting and behavioral change were not elicited as a training need, suggesting a lack of understanding of components of supporting self

Online Resources to Support Professional Development for Managing and Preserving Geospatial Data

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Downs, R. R.; Chen, R. S.

2013-12-01

tutorials, primers, guides, and online learning modules. The site enables users to find and access standards, real-world examples, and websites of other resources about geospatial data management. Quick links to lists of resources are available for data managers, system developers, and researchers. New resources are featured regularly to highlight current developments in practice and research. A user-centered approach was taken to design and develop the site iteratively, based on a survey of the expectations and needs of community members who have an interest in the management and preservation of geospatial data. Formative and summative evaluation activities have informed design, content, and feature enhancements to enable users to use the website efficiently and effectively. Continuing management and evaluation of the website keeps the content and the infrastructure current with evolving research, practices, and technology. The design, development, evaluation, and use of the website are described along with selected resources and activities that support education and professional development for the management, preservation, and stewardship of geospatial data.

Personal construct psychology: a theory to help understand professional development, a philosophy to support it.

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Brocklehurst, Paul R

2010-10-01

The aim of this paper is to introduce the reader to personal construct psychology as a theory to help understand the process of change in facilitative and mentoring relationships. Continuing professional development is critical if practitioners are to keep up to date with new ideas, techniques, and materials. However, is it important not only to consider what is learnt, it is also important to understand the how of learning in order to develop an approach that leads to lifelong learning. Mentoring, coaching, and appraisal are all facilitative processes that aim to encourage professionals to engage with their own development. This leads to differing degrees of both behavioural and attitudinal change. As a result, it is useful to have a theory that can help an individual to understand these changes and to identify any difficulties that are associated with them. Personal construct psychology has long been recognised as a potential framework for personal development. It has been used extensively in a broad range of domains, including clinical and educational psychology, management, and psychotherapy. Personal construct psychology is a useful theory for understanding the facilitative process because it enables the facilitator to form a conceptual framework to comprehend behavioural and attitudinal change. Its underlying philosophical approach also supports lifelong learning, given its emphasis on an enquiring mind and reflection, both of which are key to continuing professional development.

Online Platform Support for Sustained, Collaborative and Self-directed Engagement of Teachers in a Blended Professional Development Program

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Osburg, Thomas; Todorova, Albena

Professional development of teachers plays a significant role for the success of educational reforms and for student achievement. Programs for developing teachers’ skills to integrate digital media in the classroom have received increased attention, due to the role of technology in today’s world. Recent research and field experiences have identified elements which contribute to the effectiveness of such programs, among them opportunities for sustained, collaborative and self-directed learning. This paper explores how an online platform of a large scale blended program for professional development, Intel® Teach - Advanced Online, supports the implementation of such opportunities in practice and incorporates them in the structure of the program. The positive outcomes from the program as evidenced by its evaluation indicate that professional development based on the design principles identified as effective by recent research is a viable solution for addressing the limitations of traditional teacher training for technology integration.

Physiotherapists' stories about professional development.

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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.

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.

Development of the Professional Self-Care Scale.

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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).

Continuing professional development: researching non-technical competencies can support cognitive reappraisal and reduced stress in clinicians.

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Kinnison, Tierney; May, Stephen

2017-09-09

Generic professional capabilities (non-technical competencies) are increasingly valued for their links to patient outcomes and clinician well-being. This study explores the emotional change, and practice-related outcomes, of participants of a veterinary professional key skills (PKS) continuing professional development (CPD) module. Reflective summaries produced by participants were analysed. A change in emotion, from 'negative' to 'positive', was the focus of analysis. Sections regarding these emotions were thematically analysed. Analysis was performed on 46 summaries. Three themes were identified: 'the PKS module' (centred on reluctance becoming surprise and stimulation), 'developing non-technical competencies' (unease to confidence) and 'stress and coping through a reflective focus' (anxiety to harmony). The changing emotions were connected to positive cognitive reappraisal and often behaviour changes, benefitting self, practice, clients and patients. The PKS module teaches participants to reflect; a new and challenging concept. The consequences of this enabled participants to understand the importance of professional topics, to be appreciative as well as critical, and to enjoy their job. Importantly, the module stimulated coping responses. Better understanding of roles led to participants having more reasonable expectations of themselves, more appreciation of their work and reduced stress. This research supports more attention to professional skills CPD for health professions. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Continuous Professional Development of English Language Teachers: Perception and Practices

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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

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.

An Exploration of Online Environments Supporting Follow-Up to Face-to-Face Professional Development

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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…

Communicative Competence as a Professional Mobility Factor of Teachers Supporting for Disabled People

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Dziuba E.M.

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The paper discribes experience in the implementation of a new educational module “Philosophical and Socio-legal Bases of Supporting for Disabled People” developed by a professional team of Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical Minin University. Forming the communicative competency of disabled people supporting specialist is one of the main tasks of the module. Program developers believe that the structure and content of the educational subjects and practical training programs enables graduates to be prepared for variative communication forms providing educational, social, and cultural support of disable people as well as in the professional field as a whole. The ability of the graduate to communicate efficiently and effectively is required for professional mobility in teaching and non-teaching areas; so this module is a multi-purpose educational development.

"It's worth our time": a model of culturally and linguistically supportive professional development for K-12 STEM educators

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Charity Hudley, Anne H.; Mallinson, Christine

2017-09-01

Professional development on issues of language and culture is often separate from professional development on issues related to STEM education, resulting in linguistic and cultural gaps in K-12 STEM pedagogy and practice. To address this issue, we have designed a model of professional development in which we work with educators to build cultural and linguistic competence and to disseminate information about how educators view the relevance of language, communication, and culture to STEM teaching and learning. We describe the design and facilitation of our model of culturally and linguistically responsive professional development, grounded in theories of multicultural education and culturally supportive teaching, through professional development workshops to 60 K-12 STEM educators from schools in Maryland and Virginia that serve African American students. Participants noted that culturally and linguistically responsive approaches had yet to permeate their K-12 STEM settings, which they identified as a critical challenge to effectively teaching and engaging African-American students. Based on pre-surveys, workshops were tailored to participants' stated needs for information on literacy (e.g., disciplinary literacies and discipline-specific jargon), cultural conflict and mismatch (e.g., student-teacher miscommunication), and linguistic bias in student assessment (e.g., test design). Educators shared feedback via post-workshop surveys, and a subset of 28 participants completed in-depth interviews and a focus group. Results indicate the need for further implementation of professional development such as ours that address linguistic and cultural issues, tailored for K-12 STEM educators. Although participants in this study enumerated several challenges to meeting this need, they also identified opportunities for collaborative solutions that draw upon teacher expertise and are integrated with curricula across content areas.

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

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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.

Distance learning: the future of continuing professional development.

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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.

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

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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.

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....

Actions to promote professional ethics in the people supported education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sucel Batista-Fonseca

2016-06-01

Full Text Available An action plan aimed at strengthening professional ethics supported by the methodology of popular education is a tool for achieving quality in the institutions used by managers and by workers committed with efficiency in our organizations. This study seeks to propose an action plan that promotes ethics in institutions supported by the methodology of popular education. The development of this proposal was made aided by documentary analysis with the use of theoretical methods such as analysis-synthesis, induction, deduction, and leaning on the technique of participant observation. The authors have investigated about professional ethics and Popular Education and analyzed these categories separately. The literature review showed that the methodology of popular education is an essential tool to encourage professional ethics.

Professionals' views on mental health service users' education: challenges and support.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieminen, I; Kaunonen, M

2017-02-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Mental health service users (MHSUs) may experience disruptions in their education. However, education has been shown to have a positive influence on their recovery, potentially offering them broader employment opportunities. The literature suggests that providing support for MHSUs in their educational efforts may be beneficial and is wished for by the service users themselves. However, there is a lack of mental health professionals' views on the topic in the setting of a community mental health centre. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: In the perception of mental health professionals, the predominance of disease in the life of MHSUs and their marginalization may form barriers to their success in education. Professionals can support MHSUs in their educational efforts by strengthening the MHSUs' internal resources and creating a supportive environment with professional expertise available. A service user-centred education might further help MHSUs to achieve their educational goals. Our findings confirm previous knowledge of a recovery-oriented approach to supporting MHSUs' education. This study explored the topic from the professionals' perspective in the context of community mental health centres, which is a fresh view in the research literature. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The findings suggest which types of support professionals perceive to be required for MHSUs to advance their studies. Knowledge of adequate forms of support can be applied in the mental health nursing practice to develop support measures for service users to advance in their studies. All levels of the community mental health centres should be aware of and adopt a recovery-oriented approach. MHSUs and professionals need to have a shared opinion on the definition of recovery orientation. This requires mutual discussion and the more active involvement of MHSUs in the design of their own rehabilitation process. Introduction Studies show

Supporting professional spreadsheet users by generating leveled dataflow diagrams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hermans, F.; Pinzger, M.; Van Deursen, A.

2010-01-01

Thanks to their flexibility and intuitive programming model, spreadsheets are widely used in industry, often for businesscritical applications. Similar to software developers, professional spreadsheet users demand support for maintaining and transferring their spreadsheets. In this paper, we first

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'…

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…

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)

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

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, Tara Eileen

Professional development is important for improving teacher practice and student learning, particularly in inquiry-oriented and technology-enhanced science instruction. This study examines professional developers' practices and their impact on teachers' classroom instruction and student achievement. It analyzes professional developers designing and implementing a five-year professional development program designed to support middle school science teachers. The professional developers are four university-based researchers who worked with sixteen science teachers over three years, setting program goals, facilitating workshops, providing in-classroom support for teachers, and continually refining the program. The analysis is guided by the knowledge integration perspective, a sociocognitive framework for understanding how teachers and professional developers integrate their ideas about teaching and learning. The study investigates the professional developers' goals and teachers' interpretations of those goals. It documents how professional developers plan teacher learning experiences and explores the connection between professional development activities and teachers' classroom practice. Results are based on two rounds of interviews with professional developers, audio recordings of professional developers' planning meetings and videotaped professional development activities. Data include classroom observations, teacher interviews, teacher reflections during professional development activities, and results from student assessments. The study shows the benefit of a professional development approach that relies on an integrated cycle of setting goals, understanding teachers' interpretations, and refining implementation. The professional developers based their design on making inquiry and technology accessible, situating professional development in teachers' work, supporting collaboration, and sustaining learning. The findings reflect alignment of the design goals with the

Influence of employer support for professional development on MOOCs enrolment and comple-tion: Results from a cross-course survey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castaño-Muñoz, Jonatan; Kalz, Marco; Kreijns, Karel; Punie, Yves

2018-01-01

Although the potential of open education and MOOCs for professional development is usually recognized, it has not yet been explored extensively. How far employers support non-formal learning is still an open question. This paper presents the findings of a survey-based study which focuses on the

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…

Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile

OpenAIRE

María del Mar Molero Jurado; María del Carmen Pérez-Fuentes; José Jesús Gázquez Linares; José Jesús Gázquez Linares; Ana Belén Barragán Martín

2018-01-01

Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome.Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout.Method: The sample was made up of 719 ...

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...

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

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.

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…

Tales from the Dark Side: Teacher Professional Development , Support , Activities, Student Research & Presentations

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, C. E.; Pompea, S. M.

2013-12-01

In a partnership last Spring with Arizona Public Service, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) created the 'Dark-Skies Energy Education Program: Energy Awareness for a Sustainable Future'. In this program, experienced science and technology education specialists from NOAO led 2 one-day professional development workshops for thirteen 6th grade teachers on dark skies and energy education. The workshops focused on three foundational, scaffolding activities and a final student research project. This in turn culminated in a Family Science Night where students presented their projects. In between these events, our NOAO team provided support for teachers through real-time video conferencing using FaceTime. In addition to the professional development, each teacher received a kit full of resource materials to perform the activities and research project. The kit was at no cost to the teacher, school, or district. Each kit contained the latest version of a tablet, which was used to facilitate communication and support for the teachers, as well as provide all the program's written teaching materials. The activities are in accordance with state, Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Our NOAO instructors gave firsthand experiences on how best to use these materials in a classroom or public setting. They also discussed opportunities on how they can incorporate, adapt and expand upon the activities and research projects in the classroom. Evaluation reports from the program's independent evaluator showed that the students enjoyed learning from the three foundational activities and research projects. The project presentations by the Yuma students were outstanding in their creativity, level of effort, and scientific accuracy. To summarize the evaluations, significant changes in knowledge and attitude were made with the teachers and students (from one-on-one interviews and surveys), but behavioral changes (albeit only over a semester) seemed minimal. The AGU

Supports and Concerns for Teacher Professional Growth During the Implementation of a Science Curriculum Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Peers, Cheryl (Shelley) E.; Diezmann, Carmel M.; Watters, James J.

2003-02-01

Internationally, considerable reform in science education is occurring which promotes constructivist philosophies and advocates constructivist-inspired pedagogical strategies that are new to many teachers. This paper reports on the supporting factors necessary for teacher professional growth and the issues of concern that were evident during one primary teacher''s successful implementation of a unit of work based on a draft of a new state-wide science syllabus which proposes such approaches. One researcher (CEP) provided guidance during the writing and implementation of the unit through professional development workshops complemented by ongoing collegial support. The analysis of the teacher''s practice reveals that professional growth required a willingness of the teacher to engage with change and modify his professional practice. The support factors for teacher growth consisted of an appropriate program of professional development, teacher understanding of the elements of the curriculum innovation, and successful experiences in implementing new approaches. In contrast, the issues of concern were: the adequacy of support for planning including the time required to understand the innovation and make changes to teaching practice; science equipment; teacher knowledge; classroom management strategies; and ways to cope with change. Understanding of these support factors and issues of concern is vital for the successful implementation of science curriculum innovations.

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.

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.

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

Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Molero Jurado, María Del Mar; Pérez-Fuentes, María Del Carmen; Gázquez Linares, José Jesús; Barragán Martín, Ana Belén

2018-01-01

Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome. Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout. Method: The sample was made up of 719 healthcare professionals with a mean of 38.52 years of age. The Short Questionnaire of Burnout, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Basic Empathy Scale were used. Results: The results of a cluster analysis with self-esteem, empathy, and perceived social support showed four groups/profiles. Two of them, which included professionals with low self-esteem, differed in the rest of the characteristics. Furthermore, significant differences in burnout scores were found among the groups identified. Conclusion: The results show the need to study burnout with attention to individual and or social characteristics, where self-esteem is shown to be one of the explanatory variables making the main differences among the groups.

Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María del Mar Molero Jurado

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome.Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout.Method: The sample was made up of 719 healthcare professionals with a mean of 38.52 years of age. The Short Questionnaire of Burnout, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Basic Empathy Scale were used.Results: The results of a cluster analysis with self-esteem, empathy, and perceived social support showed four groups/profiles. Two of them, which included professionals with low self-esteem, differed in the rest of the characteristics. Furthermore, significant differences in burnout scores were found among the groups identified.Conclusion: The results show the need to study burnout with attention to individual and or social characteristics, where self-esteem is shown to be one of the explanatory variables making the main differences among the groups.

Health Professionals' Expanding eHealth Competences for Supporting Patients' Self-Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Kujala, Sari; Rajalahti, Elina; Heponiemi, Tarja; Hilama, Pirjo

2018-01-01

An increasing number of new eHealth services that support patients' self-management has changed health professionals' work and has created a need for a new eHealth competence. In this study, we evaluated the health professionals' eHealth competences and training needs in a public health organization in Finland. The target organization's goal was to increase the number of eHealth services provided to patients, and health professionals and their competences were seen as critical for the adoption of services. Data was collected through an online survey of 701 health professionals working in the target organization. Professionals perceived their basic computer skills as good and they were mostly willing to use eHealth services in patient work. However, health professionals need guidance, especially in their patient work in the new eHealth-enabled environment. They were less confident about their competence to motivate and advise patients to use eHealth services and how to communicate with patients using eHealth solutions. The results also imply that eHealth competence is not merely about an individual's skills but that organizations need to develop new working processes, work practices and distribution of work. We suggest that the training and support needs identified be considered in curricula and lifelong learning.

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…

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…

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.

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

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.

"It's like a puzzle": Pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care.

Science.gov (United States)

Bäckström, Caroline A; Mårtensson, Lena B; Golsäter, Marie H; Thorstensson, Stina A

2016-12-01

Pregnant women are not always satisfied with the professional support they receive during their midwifery care. More knowledge is needed to understand what professional support pregnant women need for childbirth and parenting. Childbearing and the transition to becoming a parent is a sensitive period in one's life during which one should have the opportunity to receive professional support. Professional support does not always correspond to pregnant women's needs. To understand pregnant women's needs for professional support within midwifery care, it is crucial to further illuminate women's experiences of this support. To explore pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Fifteen women were interviewed during gestational weeks 36-38. Data was analysed using phenomenography. The women perceived professional support in midwifery care to be reassuring and emotional, to consist of reliable information, and to be mediated with pedagogical creativity. The professional support facilitated new social contacts, partner involvement and contributed to mental preparedness. The findings of the study were presented in six categories and the category Professional support contributes to mental preparedness was influenced by the five other categories. Pregnant women prepare for childbirth and parenting by using several different types of professional support in midwifery care: a strategy that could be described as piecing together a puzzle. When the women put the puzzle together, each type of professional support works as a valuable piece in the whole puzzle. Through this, professional support could contribute to women's mental preparedness for childbirth and parenting. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Psychological and Educational Support in Professional Self-Determination in Students: Through the Lens of Professional Standard for Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonova M.V.,

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the importance of organized educational support for students in their professional self-determination. It reviews the list of professional competencies defined in the professional standard for teachers dealing with self-determination in students and analyses the basic requirements set for teacher education programmes. The system of professional self-determination for young people is described basing on the experience of the Republic of Mordovia, where career guidance in schools is regulated by the Regional Educational Module “Start into the Profession”. This module was developed according to the specifics of the given region and represents an integrated system of activities aimed at efficient career guidance for students living in rural and urban areas of the Republic of Mordovia.

Healthcare professional behaviour change using technological supports: A realist literature review

OpenAIRE

Chris Keyworth; Jo Hart; Chris A. Armitage

2015-01-01

Background Changing healthcare professional behaviour is fundamental to effective patient management. Recent systematic reviews examining healthcare professional behaviour change interventions (such as audit and feedback) suggest that technological support is likely to be crucial in helping healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes. However we know little about the effectiveness of technological support interventions, and whether the design of technological support interventions...

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.

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.

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.

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…

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…

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…

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.

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

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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…

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.

Teacher Professional Development through Digital Content Evaluation

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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…

Accountability Requirements and Professional Development in the US Adult Basic and Literacy Education System

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CRISTINE SMITH

2009-12-01

Although high-stakes accountability systems help focus professional development efforts on the curricular needs of students, little evidence exists to support the claim that such systems help teachers change their practice to enhance student learning...A tendency exists…to narrow the focus of professional development activities to tested subjects or provide general support that is disconnected from curricular needs. (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 2004:3

The effects of perceived managerial support on organizational commitment: An example of professional football players

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İlhan ADİLOĞULLARI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of the support from managers that the professional footballers perceive in their commitment to their teams. Material and Methods: In this study, 641 professional football players were randomly participated from the professional football leagues organized by Turkish Football Federation in the season of 2015-2016. Data were collected by administrating the “Perceived Managerial Support Questionnaire” developed by Giray and Sahin (2012 and the “Organizational Commitment Questionnaire” which developed by Meyer and Allen (1997 and adapted to Turkish language by Wasti (2000 that has three subscales and 18 items. The data obtained in the study were evaluated by the Mann Withney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the regression analyses as well as the percent-frequency analyses via SPSS programme. Results: Results revealed that there was a significant relationship between the level of organizational commitment and managerial support of professional football players that they perceive from their managers. In relation to perceived managerial support of football players, there was a significant difference between the groups according to league category and educational status of football players who participated in the present study. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the level of organizational commitment among the groups according to football players’ age, level of league, educational status and duration of professional football career. Conclusion: According to results of this study that the professional football players’ commitment of their teams is predicted by the perceived managerial support from their managers is considered as an important conclusion. In this premise, results of the present study shed light on our understanding of the organizational management in football to be aware of football player’s expectations from their managers and provide such awareness in

Support for teachers in improving science instruction and building a professional culture: An investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Meg

Teachers, already working in a demanding and complex occupation, face new challenges posed by current recommendations for changes in science teaching. Reform challenges that teachers face today and principles for professional development suggested by Judith Warren Little are used as a conceptual framework for this study. The study examines one professional development opportunity, the South Coast Science Project (SCSP) which is one site of the statewide California Science Project. In 1995 twenty-eight teachers of grades K--12 participated in the SCSPs four week summer institute and six follow-up days during the next two school years. Responses to open-ended questions on questionnaires answered by each teacher and my observation as a participant were used to study teachers' experiences in the institute. In classroom observations and interviews I gathered data about teaching practice and leadership activities of the teachers after the institute. Findings show that after the institute participating teachers made changes in teaching practice and leadership activities congruent with the aims of the SCSP. Important factors in the institute's success in supporting teachers to make changes include: the institute's mission, design, principles, and aims are in agreement with Little's (1993) suggested principles for professional development; investigations in an inquiry method are used to emphasize teaching science, rather than separating science and teaching; teacher leadership was enhanced by modeling and opportunities for the participants to practice leadership; a non-elitist model gave all teachers access to this learning opportunity. The method used for this study shows a way to better understand how professional development can have an impact on classroom practice. By collecting data in both the contexts---the learning opportunity and the subsequent classroom applications---the impact of the professional development can be traced. Findings for this study show that well

Supporting students in professional socialisation: Guidelines for professional nurses and educators

OpenAIRE

Hester Cathrina (Rina) de Swardt; Gisela H. van Rensburg; M.J. Oosthuizen

2017-01-01

Professional socialisation of nursing students involves learning skills, attitudes, behaviour and professional roles, largely in the clinical area. During clinical accompaniment and reflective discussions with a group of undergraduate Baccalaureate nursing students in South Africa, students reported negative professional socialisation experiences, primarily in the clinical area. Such experiences could influence the quality of patient care. The objective of this study was to develop and valida...

Practical Recommendations to Improve the Quality of Training and Methodical Support of Professional Teacher Education

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Grebennikov, Valery V.; Grudtsina, Ludmila Yu.; Marchuk, Nikolay N.; Sangadgiev, Badma V.; Kudyashev, Nail K.

2016-01-01

The research urgency is caused by the transition to the knowledge society and new demands for training and methodical provision of professional pedagogical education. The purpose of this paper is to develop practical recommendations to improve the quality of training and methodical support of professional pedagogical education. The leading…

Factors That Develop Effective Professional Learning Communities in Taiwan

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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…

Innovative methods and tools for professionals working in supported living services for intellectually disabled persons.

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Gruiz, Katalin

2015-01-01

Autonomy of mid-seriously and seriously intellectually disabled persons is encouraged both by legislations on human rights and the modern social care and services. The process leading to the maximum possible autonomy is illustrated by a developmental spiral in our model. Specialty of the development is that the personal educational projects are realized during everyday activities. The process requires conscious professionals with an empowering and motivating attitude, with adult relationship to the intellectually disabled persons and versatile skills and tools. In this educational relationship the social professional and the supported person are equal partners moving together along the spiral of human development. An innovative tool-battery has been developed aiding support-staff in the 'pedagogical' task embedded into everyday social services. The tool-battery and its first application in supported living services of the Hungarian Down Foundation are introduced in this paper.

Coaching Discourse: Supporting Teachers' Professional Learning

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Heineke, Sally F.

2013-01-01

Although coaching is used in many schools to facilitate teachers' professional learning, few studies look closely at coaching discourse. Exploring how coaching facilitates teachers' professional development, this study used tape-recorded coaching sessions and individual post-interviews to examine the one-on-one coaching interactions of 4…

Using an Empowerment Professional Development Model to Support Beginning Primary Mathematics Teachers

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Sparrow, Len; Frid, Sandra

2003-01-01

This is a case study report from a larger study that focused on how an empowerment professional development model influenced the mathematics pedagogical practices and beliefs of Australian primary school teachers during their first year of teaching. The research used an interpretive approach for analysis of data from interviews, observations,…

Teachers' perceptions of effective science, technology, and mathematics professional development and changes in classroom practices

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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

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

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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…

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

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...

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

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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.

Are Seminar Periods Supportive of the Professional Development of Social Studies Teachers?

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Demir, Selçuk Besir; Dogan, Soner; Atasoy, Turgay

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficiency of the seminar periods intended for contributing to the professional development of social studies teachers based on their own perspectives. This study adopts a qualitative approach and is carried out in the form of a case study. Among the purposeful sampling methods, the criteria sample…

On the development of professional standards of specialist in the field of educational psychology (psycho-pedagogical students support

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Yu.M. Zabrodin

2013-10-01

Full Text Available We discuss two models (two types of organizations of educational psychological service, which has a fundamental difference in the workplace of a school psychologist: at school (educational institution or out of school (in counseling centers, PPMS center, PMPC, psychologist’s office in district or city departments of local authorities. We prove that the currently being developed professional standards of specialist in the field of educational psychology (activity on psychological and pedagogical support of students aimed at the development of a national counseling service in Russia, should provide a combination of both models and ensure interactions between psychologists working within an institution with experts from the district (city psychological centers, offices or counseling centers.

A Multi-Institutional Longitudinal Faculty Development Program in Humanism Supports the Professional Development of Faculty Teachers.

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Branch, William T; Frankel, Richard M; Hafler, Janet P; Weil, Amy B; Gilligan, MaryAnn C; Litzelman, Debra K; Plews-Ogan, Margaret; Rider, Elizabeth A; Osterberg, Lars G; Dunne, Dana; May, Natalie B; Derse, Arthur R

2017-12-01

The authors describe the first 11 academic years (2005-2006 through 2016-2017) of a longitudinal, small-group faculty development program for strengthening humanistic teaching and role modeling at 30 U.S. and Canadian medical schools that continues today. During the yearlong program, small groups of participating faculty met twice monthly with a local facilitator for exercises in humanistic teaching, role modeling, and related topics that combined narrative reflection with skills training using experiential learning techniques. The program focused on the professional development of its participants. Thirty schools participated; 993 faculty, including some residents, completed the program.In evaluations, participating faculty at 13 of the schools scored significantly more positively as rated by learners on all dimensions of medical humanism than did matched controls. Qualitative analyses from several cohorts suggest many participants had progressed to more advanced stages of professional identity formation after completing the program. Strong engagement and attendance by faculty participants as well as the multimodal evaluation suggest that the program may serve as a model for others. Recently, most schools adopting the program have offered the curriculum annually to two or more groups of faculty participants to create sufficient numbers of trained faculty to positively influence humanistic teaching at the institution.The authors discuss the program's learning theory, outline its curriculum, reflect on the program's accomplishments and plans for the future, and state how faculty trained in such programs could lead institutional initiatives and foster positive change in humanistic professional development at all levels of medical education.

Promoting Success: A Professional Development Coaching Program for Interns in Medicine.

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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.

Professional development needs of nurse managers.

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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.

Advancing the Practice of CRCs: Why Professional Development Matters.

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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.

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

Professional identity development: Learning and journeying together.

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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.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BY PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION / REINTEGRATION

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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.

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

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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…

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.

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.

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

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.

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…

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.

DeFrosting professional development: reconceptualising teaching using social learning technologies

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Vickel Narayan

2011-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper we discuss the impact of redesigning a lecturer professional development course with the aim of embedding a community of practice (COP model supported by the use of mobile web 2.0 technologies. This approach was based upon a model developed to support 30 mlearning projects between 2006 and 2010, which also informed the institutions' new elearning strategy developed in 2009. Participating lecturers were brought into the course as participants in an intentional COP investigating the pedagogical application of social learning theories and frameworks, facilitated by the course lecturers who took on the role of technology stewards guiding the COP in the appropriation of mobile web 2.0. Three examples of participants' journeys of discovery throughout the course are highlighted to illustrate the impact of this approach to professional development. Reflections on the first 2010 iteration of the course are then used to inform the following iterations in 2011.

Planning Considerations for Afterschool Professional Development

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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 &…

In Support of Access and Inclusion: Joint Professional Development for Science and Special Educators

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Rita Brusca-Vega

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the need for collaborative professional development of science and special educators to enhance access and inclusion for students with disabilities and improve science learning for all students. The purpose of the study was to examine changes in the teaching practices of science and special educators, grades 4 to 8, as they jointly completed an intense year-long professional development program designed to promote hands-on, inquiry-based science in their classrooms; expand their instructional repertoires to better serve students with disabilities and other learning problems; and facilitate communication between the groups. Quantitative and qualitative measures, including pre and post ratings of teacher classroom performance, action research projects, and teacher interviews, were used to determine changes in teacher instructional and collaborative practices.

Learning to Teach Online: Promoting Success through Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Hinson, Janice M.; LaPrairie, Kimberely N.

2005-01-01

The study reported in this paper examined the types of professional-development activities, support systems, and organizational structures necessary for community college faculty to make transitions from traditional teaching to Web-based teaching. Results indicate that (a) instructional change can by initiated through sustained professional…

Effect of Faculty Member's Use of Twitter as Informal Professional Development during a Preservice Teacher Internship

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Mills, Michael

2014-01-01

Educators have increasingly turned to Twitter as a means for receiving professional development and building and sustaining professional learning communities. This paper reports the results of a study of 82 undergraduate preservice teachers and their attitudes regarding Twitter as a medium for informal professional development support during their…

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…

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

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

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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…

An integrative review of e-learning in the delivery of self-management support training for health professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawn, Sharon; Zhi, Xiaojuan; Morello, Andrea

2017-10-10

E-learning involves delivery of education through Information and Communication Technology (ITC) using a wide variety of instructional designs, including synchronous and asynchronous formats. It can be as effective as face-to-face training for many aspects of health professional training. There are, however, particular practices and skills needed in providing patient self-management support, such as partnering with patients in goal-setting, which may challenge conventional practice norms. E-learning for the delivery of self-management support (SMS) continuing education to existing health professionals is a relatively new and growing area with limited studies identifying features associated with best acquisition of skills in self-management support. An integrative literature review examined what is known about e-learning for self-management support. This review included both qualitative and quantitative studies that focused on e-learning provided to existing health professionals for their continuing professional development. Papers were limited to those published in English between 2006 and 2016. Content analysis was used to organize and focus and describe the findings. The search returned 1505 articles, with most subsequently excluded based on their title or abstract. Fifty-two full text articles were obtained and checked, with 42 excluded because they did not meet the full criteria. Ten peer-reviewed articles were included in this review. Seven main themes emerged from the content analysis: participants and professions; time; package content; guiding theoretical framework; outcome measures; learning features or formats; and learning barriers. These themes revealed substantial heterogeneity in instructional design and other elements of e-learning applied to SMS, indicating that there is still much to understand about how best to deliver e-learning for SMS skills development. Few e-learning approaches meet the need for high levels of interactivity, reflection

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...

Rural health professionals' perspectives on providing grief and loss support in cancer care.

Science.gov (United States)

Breen, L J; O'Connor, M

2013-11-01

Research demonstrates considerable inequalities in service delivery and health outcomes for people with cancer living outside large metropolitan cities. Semi-structured interviews with 11 professionals providing grief and loss support for people with cancer and their families in rural, regional, and remote areas Western Australia revealed the challenges they faced in delivering such support. The data are presented in four themes - Inequity of regional versus metropolitan services, Strain of the 'Jack of all trades' role, Constraints to accessing professional development, and Challenges in delivering post-bereavement services. These challenges are likely to be of growing concern given that populations are declining in rural areas as Australia becomes increasingly urban. The findings have implications in enhancing the loss and grief support services available in rural, regional, and remote Western Australia, including those grieving the death of a loved one through cancer. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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 ...

Engagement through Microblogging: Educator Professional Development via Twitter

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Jeffrey P.; Krutka, Daniel G.

2015-01-01

Traditional, top-down professional development (PD) can render teachers mere implementers of the ideas of others, but there is some hope that the participatory nature of social media such as Twitter might support more grassroots PD. To better understand Twitter's role in education, we conducted a survey of K-16 educators regarding their use of the…

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.

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.

The effect of perceived organisational support on burnout among community health nurses in China: the mediating role of professional self-concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaoyi; Chen, Lin; Tian, Lang; Diao, Yongshu

2016-01-01

To examine the mediating effect of professional self-concept on the association between perceived organisational support and burnout among community health nurses in Chengdu, China. Burnout is a common phenomenon among nurses and previous studies have focused on work environmental factors contributing to burnout. Limited studies have examined the effects of perceived organisational support and professional self-concept on burnout among community health nurses. This was a cross-sectional study with 551 community health nurses in Chengdu, China, which included a two-stage sampling method. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationships among perceived organisational support, professional self-concept and burnout. The final sample included 456 nurses (82.7%). Perceived organisational support was a significant positive direct predictor for professional self-concept and a significant negative direct predictor for burnout. Professional self-concept was a significant negative direct contributor to burnout. Professional self-concept had a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived organisational support and burnout. Perceived organisational support may result in reduced burnout by facilitating the development of positive professional self-concept. Strategies such as establishing a supportive work environment and professional competence training may be effective methods for burnout prevention and management among community health nurses. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mothers' perceptions of community health professional support.

Science.gov (United States)

Maunders, Helena; Giles, David; Douglas, Hazel

2007-04-01

This qualitative study aimed to explore mothers' experiences of the support they received from community health professionals. Every third mother was selected from an NHS Trust's database of women whose health visitors had used the Solihull Approach. Forty-two women were sent information packs and consent forms. Nine mothers who returned consent forms were interviewed. The interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results expand on previous research and contribute additional ideas to the existing evidence base. The findings explore the concepts of trust, expertise and understanding within the working partnership. In addition, the results address mothers' need for reliability, and a preference for professionals who understood women's beliefs about what it means to be a 'good mother'. The results and recommendations are pertinent to those community health professionals who work in the area of early childhood intervention, including practitioners who use the Solihull Approach.

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.

Disaster Preparedness among Health Professionals and Support Staff: What is Effective? An Integrative Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gowing, Jeremy R; Walker, Kim N; Elmer, Shandell L; Cummings, Elizabeth A

2017-06-01

Introduction It is important that health professionals and support staff are prepared for disasters to safeguard themselves and the community during disasters. There has been a significantly heightened focus on disasters since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York (USA); however, despite this, it is evident that health professionals and support staff may not be adequately prepared for disasters. Report An integrative literature review was performed based on a keyword search of the major health databases for primary research evaluating preparedness of health professionals and support staff. The literature was quality appraised using a mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT), and a thematic analysis was completed to identify current knowledge and gaps. Discussion The main themes identified were: health professionals and support staff may not be fully prepared for disasters; the most effective content and methods for disaster preparedness is unknown; and the willingness of health professionals and support staff to attend work and perform during disasters needs further evaluation. Gaps were identified to guide further research and the creation of new knowledge to best prepare for disasters. These included the need for: high-quality research to evaluate the best content and methods of disaster preparedness; inclusion of the multi-disciplinary health care team as participants; preparation for internal disasters; the development of validated competencies for preparedness; validated tools for measurement; and the importance of performance in actual disasters to evaluate preparation. The literature identified that all types of disaster preparedness activities lead to improvements in knowledge, skills, or attitude preparedness for disasters. Most studies focused on external disasters and the preparedness of medical, nursing, public health, or paramedic professionals. There needs to be a greater focus on the whole health care team, including allied health

The development of integrated service centre system for professional teachers empowerment in North Sumatera

Science.gov (United States)

Gultom, S.; Simanjorang, M. M.; Muchtar, Z.; Mansyur, A.

2018-03-01

Based on Act number 12 in year 2012 the function of higher education is related to individual, social community, knowledge and technology development. Hence, higher education providers need to think and develop policies in order to improve their service and fulfil the higher education function. As part of the effort to fulfil its function Universitas Negeri Medan (Unimed), which historically was a pre-service teacher training institute, should has a special interest on improving teachers’ professionalism. The Act number 14 in year 2005 described requirements for professional teacher, including academic qualification and set of competencies possessed by the teacher. The Act also guaranties teachers’ right to have opportunities for improving their competencies and academic qualification through training and other professionalism development programme. The question is how this guarantee can be implemented. In order to answer this question a developmental study has been done which aimed on developing an integrated service centre system for professional teachers empowerment. As the name implies, this integrated service centre system is expected to be a real manifestation of Unimed’s support towards the improvement of professional teachers quality, which in the end will boils down to the improvement of national education services quality. The result of this study is an integrated service centre system for professional teachers empowerment that fulfils the professionalism principles described in the Act number 14 in year 2005, which has been developed by considering problems faced by and also supports needed by teachers post certification programme.

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.…

Biology Teachers' Professional Development Needs for Teaching Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrichsen, Patricia J.; Linke, Nicholas; Barnett, Ellen

2016-01-01

The social controversy surrounding the teaching of evolution puts pressure on secondary biology teachers to deemphasize or omit evolution from their curriculum. In this growing pressure, professional development can offer support to biology teachers. In this study, we surveyed secondary biology teachers in Missouri and report the data from…

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.

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.

What makes generalist mental health professionals effective when working with people with an intellectual disability? A family member and support person perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Weise, Janelle; Fisher, Karen R; Trollor, Julian N

2018-05-01

Generalist mental health professionals are inadequately equipped to meet the rights of people with intellectual disability. A better understanding of the attributes of effective professionals may assist in the development of workforce capacity in this area. Twenty-eight family/support persons of people with intellectual disability participated in four focus groups. Thematic analysis was undertaken applying the Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competencies Framework. Participants described attributes that aligned with current professional expectations such as working together and new attributes such as differentiating between behaviour and mental health. An unexpected finding was the need for professionals to be able to infer meaning by interpreting multiple sources of information. Participants also wanted professionals to acknowledge their professional limitations and seek professional support. Family/support persons identified a range of attributes of effective mental health professionals to support people with intellectual disability. Further research is necessary, particularly from the perspective of people with intellectual disability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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.

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.

Conceptualization and Support of the Role of Teachers Serving as Team Leaders in a Professional Learning Community

Science.gov (United States)

Gordin, Lanelle

2010-01-01

This study presents the results of a phenomenological qualitative investigation into the new role of teachers serving as team leaders in a professional learning community, as well as the support team leaders need from members and principals to be effective. Collaborative teacher teams in 6 schools that have been developing as professional learning…

"It's Worth Our Time": A Model of Culturally and Linguistically Supportive Professional Development for K-12 STEM Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Hudley, Anne H. Charity; Mallinson, Christine

2017-01-01

Professional development on issues of language and culture is often separate from professional development on issues related to STEM education, resulting in linguistic and cultural gaps in K-12 STEM pedagogy and practice. To address this issue, we have designed a model of professional development in which we work with educators to build cultural…

Professional Development Strategically Connecting Mathematics and Science: The Impact on Teachers' Confidence and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Baxter, Juliet A.; Ruzicka, Angie; Beghetto, Ronald A.; Livelybrooks, Dean

2014-01-01

The press to integrate mathematics and science comes from researchers, business leaders, and educators, yet research that examines ways to support teachers in relating these disciplines is scant. Using research on science and mathematics professional development, we designed a professional development project to help elementary teachers improve…

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

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.

Using Video in Urban Elementary Professional Development to Support Digital Media Arts Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Woodard, Rebecca; Machado, Emily

2017-01-01

Using ethnographic methods, this article looks closely at how a team of first-grade teachers and digital media artists in an urban elementary school used video in innovative ways during professional development over the course of one year. Extending a body of literature that primarily documents how video can be used as a tool in professional…

The Bowie State University Professional Development Schools Network Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Garin, Eva; Taylor, Traki; Madden, Maggie; Beiter, Judy; Davis, Julius; Farmer, Cynthia; Nowlin, Dawn

2015-01-01

The Bowie State University PDS Network Partnership is one of the 2015 Exemplary PDS Partnerships recognized by the National Association for Professional Development Schools. This partnership is built on a series of signature programs that define and support our partnership work. This article describes each of those signature programs that make our…

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…

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…

Paediatric death and dying: exploring coping strategies of health professionals and perceptions of support provision.

Science.gov (United States)

Forster, Elizabeth; Hafiz, Alaa

2015-06-01

Without question a child's death is a devastating event for parents and families. Health professionals working with the dying child and family draw upon their expertise and experience to engage with children, parents and families on this painful journey. This is a delicate and sensitive area of practice and has strong and penetrating effects on health professionals. They employ physical, emotional, spiritual and problem solving strategies to continue to perform this role effectively and to protect their continued sense of wellbeing. To explore health professionals' perceptions of bereavement support surrounding the loss of a child. The research was underpinned by social constructionism. Semi-structured interviews were held with 10 health professionals including doctors, nurses and social workers who were directly involved in the care of the dying child and family in 7 cases of paediatric death. Health professional narratives were analysed consistent with Charmarz's (2006) approach. For health professionals, constructions around coping emerged as peer support, personal coping strategies, family support, physical impact of support and spiritual beliefs. Analysis of the narratives also revealed health professionals' perceptions of their support provision. Health professionals involved in caring for dying children and their families use a variety of strategies to cope with the emotional and physical toll of providing support. They also engage in self-assessment to evaluate their support provision and this highlights the need for self-evaluation tools in paediatric palliative care.

Supporting the Development of Latino Bilingual Mental Health Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Michelle L.; Sawyer, Cheryl B.; Guzmán, Michele R.; Graziani, Cate

2014-01-01

Latino individuals who prefer to communicate in Spanish lack linguistically and culturally proficient mental health professionals with whom they can communicate effectively. This study illustrates the components necessary to facilitate the overall success of Latino, Spanish-speaking students in attaining advanced degrees in mental health services…

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

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 providing teaching strategies that promote inquiry learning to learn science content. Given these reform efforts and teacher responses to professional development, research seems to indicate that whether teachers actually change their practice may depend on the teachers' basic epistemological beliefs about the nature of science. The person who builds the bridge between teacher beliefs and teacher practice is the designer and facilitator of science teacher professional development. Even though these designers and facilitators of professional development are critical to science teacher change, few have studied how these professionals approach their work and what influence their beliefs have on their professional development activities. Eight developers and designers of science education professional development participated in this study through interviews and the completion of an online questionnaire. To examine the relationship between professional development providers' science beliefs and their design, development, and implementation of professional development experiences for science teachers, this study used the Views on Science Education Questionnaire (VOSE), and interview transcripts as well as analysis of the documents from teacher professional development experiences. Through a basic interpretive qualitative analysis, the predominant themes that emerged from this study suggest that the nature of science is often equated with the practice of science, personal beliefs about the nature of science have a minimal impact on the design of professional development experiences, current reform efforts in science education have a

Teaching matters-academic professional development in the early 21st century.

Science.gov (United States)

Fahnert, Beatrix

2015-10-01

Academic work at different career stages has changed and a broadened portfolio of expertise enables academics to adapt, maintain and advance their career. Development related to research activity is naturally driven by methodology and technology. Institutions and peers largely support development in the contexts of dissemination, measuring impact and obtaining funding. A European Commission High Level Group recommended pedagogic training for everyone teaching in Higher Education by 2020 with mandatory continuing professional development and with academic staff recruitment and promotion being linked to teaching performance. Early career teaching experience is already an expectation, and advantage is gained by developing recognized teaching expertise. More senior academics gain an advantage through recognition of higher levels of expertise, also covering elements of leadership and innovation in teaching. This review aims to raise awareness particularly of teaching-related skills within the dimensions of academic professional development in Higher Education, outlining some general directions for development and recognition in context of current challenges to support planning and identifying training needs and opportunities at different career stages. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved.

Professional Parity Between Co-Teachers in Secondary Science and Math As Influenced By Administrative Support

Science.gov (United States)

Nordh, Camilla S.

2011-12-01

offer an important foundation on which to develop further research addressing administrative support for co-teaching. Further research in areas such as accountability in the co-taught classroom, the marketing and delivery of professional development initiatives targeting co-teaching, general education teachers' pre-service training in special education services and strategies, as well as administrative factors influencing co-teaching assignments is needed as a part of continued efforts to maximize professional efficacy.

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....

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…

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

, professionally important personal qualities, personal interest in self-development and improvement. Despite the large number of scientific papers in the fi eld of managerial activities, a broad educational possibilities of managerial staff of health care in the system of continuous professional education, the problem of formation and development of professional and subject position of health care managers remains relevant and requires further development. The development of the leader as a personality, a subject of professional activity, formation of an active professional position is the most important task of the system of continuous professional education of managerial staff of health requires improved organizational, technological and methodological support of the educational process, adequate methods and training technologies, assessment of level of readiness of the expert to implement a professional-subjective position in terms of professional practice.

Characteristics of a self-management support programme applicable in primary health care: a qualitative study of users' and health professionals' perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Solberg, Hilde Strøm; Steinsbekk, Aslak; Solbjør, Marit; Granbo, Randi; Garåsen, Helge

2014-11-08

Development of more self-management support programmes in primary health care has been one option used to enhance positive outcomes in chronic disease management. At present, research results provide no consensus on what would be the best way to develop support programmes into new settings. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore users' and health professionals' perceptions of what would be the vital elements in a self - management support programme applicable in primary health care, how to account for them, and why. Four qualitative, semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted in Central Norway. The informants possessed experience in development, provision, or participation in a self-management support programme. Data was analysed by the Systematic Text Condensation method. The results showed an overall positive expectation to the potential benefits of development of a self-management support programme in primary health care. Despite somewhat different arguments and perspectives, the users and the health professionals had a joint agreement on core characteristics; a self-management support programme in primary health care should therefore be generic, not disease specific, and delivered in a group- based format. A special focus should be on the everyday- life of the participants. The most challenging aspect was a present lack of competence and experience among health professionals to moderate self-management support programmes. The development and design of a relevant and applicable self-management support programme in primary health care should balance the interests of the users with the possibilities and constraints within each municipality. It would be vital to benefit from the closeness of the patients' every-day life situations. The user informants' perception of a self-management support programme as a supplement to regular medical treatment represented an expanded understanding of the self-management support concept. An exploring

Exploring informal workplace learning in primary healthcare for continuous professional development.

Science.gov (United States)

Joynes, Viktoria; Kerr, Micky; Treasure-Jones, Tamsin

2017-07-01

All health and social care professionals learn on the job through both formal and informal learning processes, which contributes to continuous professional development (CPD). This study explored workplace learning in General Practices, specifically looking at the role of informal learning and the workplace practices that appear to support or restrict that learning, as well as how technology was integrated into these learning processes. Three focus groups with general practitioners, practice nurses, managerial and administrative staff were conducted followed by twelve individual semi-structured interviews with participants drawn from the focus groups. Three observations of multi-disciplinary team meetings were used to establish potential team-based learning activities. Triggers for informal workplace learning included patients presenting challenging or unusual conditions; exposure to others' professional practice; and policy driven changes through revised guidance and protocols. By exploring how these triggers were acted upon, we identified mechanisms through which the primary care workplace supports or restricts informal learning through working practices, existing technologies and inter-professional structures. Informal workplace learning was identified as arising from both opportunistic encounters and more planned activities, which are both supported and restricted through a variety of mechanisms. Maximising informal learning opportunities and removing barriers to doing so should be a priority for primary care practitioners, managers and educators.

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…

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

Teachers' Professional Development: The Case of WhatsApp

Science.gov (United States)

Cansoy, Ramazan

2017-01-01

In this study, the kinds of shares made by science teachers in a WhatsApp group as an online community of practice to support professional development were examined. The netnographic research method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The messages shared by 12 science teachers, who worked at a private school between…

The Influence of Recognition and Social Support on European Health Professionals' Occupational Stress: A Demands-Control-Social Support-Recognition Bayesian Network Model.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Herrero, Susana; Lopez-Garcia, Jose R; Herrera, Sixto; Fontaneda, Ignacio; Báscones, Sonia Muñoz; Mariscal, Miguel A

2017-01-01

Healthcare professionals undergo high levels of occupational stress as a result of their working conditions. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a model that focuses on healthcare professionals so as to analyze the influence that job demands, control, social support, and recognition have on the likelihood that a worker will experience stress. The data collected correspond to 2,211 healthcare workers from 35 countries, as reported in the sixth European Working Condition Survey (EWCS). The results obtained from this study allow us to infer stress under several working condition scenarios and to identify the more relevant variables in order to reduce this stress in healthcare professionals, which is of paramount importance to managing the stress of workers in this sector. The Bayesian network proposed indicates that emotional demands have a greater influence on raising the likelihood of stress due to workload than do family demands. The results show that the support of colleagues, in general, has less effect on reducing stress than social support from superiors. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis shows that, in high-demand and low-control situations, recognition clearly impacts stress, drastically reducing it.

'To be able to support her, I must feel calm and safe': pregnant women's partners perceptions of professional support during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bäckström, Caroline; Thorstensson, Stina; Mårtensson, Lena B; Grimming, Rebecca; Nyblin, Yrsa; Golsäter, Marie

2017-07-17

Professional support does not always meet the needs of expectant fathers or co-mothers. The way in which professional support is offered during pregnancy varies internationally, depending on the country. In order to attain a greater understanding of partners' experiences of professional support, it is necessary to further illuminate their perceptions of it. The aim of this study was therefore to explore pregnant women's partners' perceptions of professional support during pregnancy. Qualitative research design. Partners of pregnant women were interviewed during gestational week 36-38. Individual semi-structured interviews were used to explore the partners' perceptions. The data was analysed using a phenomenographic approach. The study was performed in a county in south-western Sweden; the data collection was conducted from November 2014 to February 2015. Fourteen partners (expectant fathers and co-mothers) of women who were expectant first-time mothers with singleton pregnancies, were interviewed. The findings of the study are presented through four descriptive categories: Ability to absorb adequate information; Possibility to meet and share with other expectant parents; Confirmation of the partner's importance; and Influence on the couple relationship. Using a theoretical assumption of the relationship between the categories showed that the fourth category was influenced by the other three categories. The partners perceived that professional support during pregnancy could influence the couple relationship. The partners' ability to communicate and to experience togetherness with the women increased when the expectant couple received professional support together. The support created also possibilities to meet and share experiences with other expectant parents. In contrast, a lack of support was found to contribute to partners' feelings of unimportance. It was essential that the midwives included the partners by confirming that they were individuals who had

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…

Supporting institutional development in land administration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enemark, Stig

2006-01-01

Land management is the process by which the resources of land are put into good effect. Land management encompasses all activities associated with the management of land and natural resources that are required to achieve sustainable development. Land Administration Systems are institutional......, the national capacity to manage land rights, restrictions and responsibilities is not well developed in terms of mature institutions and the necessary human resources and skills. The paper examines the capacity building concept and underpins the need for institutional development to facilitate the design...... and implementation of efficient Land Administration Models and to support good governance. The paper identifies the role of FIG in this regard. This includes support for professional, institutional and global development in surveying and land management, and aims to facilitate the creation of sustainable...

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.

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.

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

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;…

E-MENTORING FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS: A CASE STUDY

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Mehmet KAHRAMAN

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This study focused on supporting the professional development of information technologies pre-service teachers with the help of e-mentoring. The e-mentoring program was conducted in four basic phases such as preparation, matching, interaction and finalizing. In the study, the data were collected via researcher journals, semi-structured interviews held with the participants, focus-group interviews and reflection reports written at the end of the program. The data collected were analyzed with the software of Nvivo 8 and divided into themes for presentation. The duration and frequency of interactions and the communication tools preferred differed from one matching to another. In addition, the interactions revealed gains professional development in terms of such areas as sharing knowledge and experience, guidance and goal setting, knowing more about the university and adaptation, easily access to counseling, developing self-confidence, developing communication skills, social and affective support, keeping one’s knowledge updated and reinforcement. It was seen that besides the formal education given to the participants, the e-mentoring application had positive influence on their professional development as well. The e-mentoring program helped students, academicians and graduates share their knowledge and experience with each other and develop their social networks. The participants had the opportunity to view their career as a whole and received guidance regarding the career processes.

Communities of practice: A means to support occupational therapists’ continuing professional development. A literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barry, Margot; Kuijer-Siebelink, Wietske; Nieuwenhuis, Loek; Scherpbier-de Haan, Nynke

2018-01-01

Background: This literature review investigates what research reports about the contribution that communities of practice (CoPs) can make in the continuing professional development (CPD) of qualified occupational therapists. Methods: Academic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE and ERIC) were searched

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.

[Nursing contributions to the development of the Brazilian Telehealth Lactation Support Program].

Science.gov (United States)

Prado, Cláudia; Silva, Isília Aparecida; Soares, Alda Valéria Neves; Aragaki, Ilva Marico Mizumoto; Shimoda, Gilcéria Tochika; Zaniboni, Vanessa Forte; Padula, Camila Brolezzi; Muller, Fabiana Swain; Salve, Jeanine Maria; Daré, Sergio Junior; Wen, Chao Lung; Peres, Heloísa Helena Ciqueto; Leite, Maria Madalena Januário

2013-08-01

The National Telehealth Program was founded by the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Education (Ministério da Educação - MEC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia - MCT), to support the development of family healthcare teams throughout the country. The São Paulo Telehealth Center has developed the Telehealth Lactation Support program, which provides primary healthcare professionals with information on diverse aspects of breastfeeding. This paper reports the development of the Lactation Support program and the nursing contributions. Project methodology included the formation of a multidisciplinary group of pediatricians, nurses, speech and language therapists, nutritionists, and dentists. Multimedia teaching resources were prepared for inclusion in the Cybertutor platform. Telehealth Lactation Support is an innovative and promising addition to continuing education for healthcare professionals and provides a framework for the development of other programs.

Implementing inquiry-based kits within a professional development school model

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Mark Thomas

2005-07-01

Implementation of guided inquiry teaching for the first time carries inherent problems for science teachers. Reform efforts on inquiry-based science teaching are often unsustainable and are not sensitive to teachers' needs and abilities as professionals. Professional development schools are meant to provide a research-based partnership between a public school and a university. These collaborations can provide support for the professional development of teachers. This dissertation reports a study focused on the implementation of inquiry-based science kits within the support of one of these collaborations. The researcher describes the difficulties and successful adaptations experienced by science teachers and how a coteaching model provided support. These types of data are needed in order to develop a bottom-up, sustainable process that will allow teachers to implement inquiry-based science. A qualitative methodology with "researcher as participant" was used in this study of two science teachers during 2002--2003. These two teachers were supported by a coteaching model, which included preservice teachers for each teacher as well as a supervising professor. Data were collected from the researcher's direct observations of coteachers' practice. Data were also collected from interviews and reflective pieces from the coteachers. Triangulation of the data on each teacher's case supported the validity of the findings. Case reports were prepared from these data for each classroom teacher. These case reports were used and cross-case analysis was conducted to search for major themes and findings in the study. Major findings described the hurdles teachers encounter, examples of adaptations observed in the teachers' cases and the supportive interactions with their coteachers while implementing the inquiry-based kits. In addition, the data were used to make recommendations for future training and use of the kits and the coteaching model. Results from this study showed that the

Managing Ethical Difficulties in Healthcare: Communicating in Inter-professional Clinical Ethics Support Sessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Grönlund, Catarina Fischer; Dahlqvist, Vera; Zingmark, Karin; Sandlund, Mikael; Söderberg, Anna

2016-12-01

Several studies show that healthcare professionals need to communicate inter-professionally in order to manage ethical difficulties. A model of clinical ethics support (CES) inspired by Habermas' theory of discourse ethics has been developed by our research group. In this version of CES sessions healthcare professionals meet inter-professionally to communicate and reflect on ethical difficulties in a cooperative manner with the aim of reaching communicative agreement or reflective consensus. In order to understand the course of action during CES, the aim of this study was to describe the communication of value conflicts during a series of inter-professional CES sessions. Ten audio- and video-recorded CES sessions were conducted over eight months and were analyzed by using the video analysis tool Transana and qualitative content analysis. The results showed that during the CES sessions the professionals as a group moved through the following five phases: a value conflict expressed as feelings of frustration, sharing disempowerment and helplessness, the revelation of the value conflict, enhancing realistic expectations, seeing opportunities to change the situation instead of obstacles. In the course of CES, the professionals moved from an individual interpretation of the situation to a common, new understanding and then to a change in approach. An open and permissive communication climate meant that the professionals dared to expose themselves, share their feelings, face their own emotions, and eventually arrive at a mutual shared reality. The value conflict was not only revealed but also resolved.

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…

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...

Support system for the professional integration of people with disability into the labour market.

Science.gov (United States)

Filgueiras, Ernesto; Vilar, Elisângela; Rebelo, Francisco

2015-01-01

Successful cases of professional reintegration were achieved when adequate conditions were created for the adaptation of the worker with disability to the working environment and to the professional activity, allowing them to carry out all their functions without any restriction. In this sense, this paper presents a methodology for professional integration of people with disability in service companies and industry. It has as results a matrix of analysis of a set of observables for the reintegration of people with disability into the labour market, as well as an auxiliary tool for those who work in recruitment of personnel. The main objective was to develop a tool (i.e., a software) based on the crossing of data obtained from the analysis of the individual capacities and the requirements of the job to optimise the relationship between worker and the workplace. There was also considered a series of strategies which can be adopted by the individuals and the possible adaptations in the workplace, as a way to reduce the handicap in the accomplishment of different activities. The methodology for the development of this study is divided in two phases: Phase I, destined to the assessment criteria and classification of the indispensable functional characteristics of the individuals; Phase II, related to the assessment criteria of the jobs and the functions that have to be performed. As a result it was developed an evaluation tool to match the individuals' capabilities and the job requirements. A software was created to support the evaluation and to help professionals during the assessment. This methodology together with the support tool demonstrated to be a quite inclusive tool, as it considers, as a matter of priority, the capacities of the individuals and the real necessities of the workplaces.

In the Round: Supporting Teachers' Authentic Professional Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Strand, Matt

2013-01-01

This is a study of teachers' authentic professional learning at a public school in Poudre School District in northern Colorado. At Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, teachers and administrators have developed a form of school-based instructional rounds referred to herein as PLC rounds (professional learning community rounds). In PLC rounds,…

A Study on the Efficacy of the Structuring of Support on Professional Training for Young People with Intellectual Disabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elías VIVED CONTE

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the context of an innovative teaching project approved by the Government of Aragon and the University of Zaragoza a study on professional training for young people with intellectual disabilities (ID was developed. The objective was to investigate the support system and to check the effectiveness of a design based on sources of natural and professional support. 9 young people with DI took part together with diverse support staff –parents, volunteers, university students through a service learning experience, professionals, adults with ID–. The theoretical bases of the project were linked to independent life projects, the supported employment and the supports model. The methodological references were the mediational teaching approach and cooperative learning. As evaluation tools, the Adaptive Skills Inventory (CALS, the questionnaire of social interaction skills (CHIS and the questionnaires of satisfaction were used. The results indicate a high achievement regarding the acquisition of skills by the participants,as well as a high degree of satisfaction from the experience. Despite several limitations present in our study, our results support the desirability of establishing new designs that enhance the effectiveness of the professional training of young people with DI and promote social and labor availability in inclusive environments.

Dynamic Tensions: Early Reflections from MDRC's Evaluation of the Innovative Professional Development Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

MDRC, 2015

2015-01-01

In the Innovative Professional Development (iPD) Challenge, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in helping school districts and networks redesign their instructional support systems to better support educators in increasing student success. This Issue Focus, the second in a series, presents early reflections from MDRC's evaluation…

Digital technology and mid-adopting teachers’ professional development : a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drijvers, Paul|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/074302922; Tacoma, Sietske|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/411923080; Mol, Amy; Heuvel, C. van den; Doorman, Michiel|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/126974764; Boon, Peter|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/203374207

2014-01-01

The integration of digital technology into secondary mathematics education is not yet a widespread success. As teachers are crucial players in this integration, an important challenge is not only to attract early adopters, but also to support mid-adopting teachers in their professional development

Use of professional and informal support by African Americans and Caribbean blacks with mental disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward, Amanda Toler; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Bullard, Kai McKeever; Neighbors, Harold W; Chatters, Linda M; Jackson, James S

2008-11-01

This study investigated the use of professional services and informal support among African Americans and Caribbean blacks with a lifetime mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder. Data were from the National Survey of American Life. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the utilization of professional services only, informal support only, both, or neither. Analyses controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, disorder-related variables, and family network variables. The analytic sample included 1,096 African Americans and 372 Caribbean blacks. Forty-one percent used both professional services and informal support, 14% relied on professional services only, 23% used informal support only, and 22% did not seek help. There were no significant differences in help seeking between African Americans and Caribbean blacks. Having co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, having a severe disorder in the past 12 months, having more people in the informal helper network, and being female increased the likelihood of using professional services and informal supports. When men sought help, they were more likely to rely on informal helpers. Marital status, age, and socioeconomic status were also significantly related to help seeking. The significant proportion of black Americans with a mental disorder who relied on informal support alone, professional services alone, or no help at all suggests potential unmet need in this group. However, the reliance on informal support also may be evidence of a strong protective role that informal networks play in the lives of African Americans and Caribbean blacks.

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…

MS PHD'S Professional Development Program: A Scientific Renaissance in Cyberspace

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, J. M.; Williamson, V. A.; Griess, C. A.; Pyrtle, A. J.

2004-12-01

This study is a component of a four-year investigation of MS PHD'S Professional Development Program's virtual community through the lenses of underrepresented minority students in Earth system science and engineering fields. In this presentation, the development, assessment and projected utilization of the ongoing study will be discussed. The overall goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of virtual team building methods and understand how the development of a communal cyberinfrastructure acts as an integral part of the emergence of a Scientific Renaissance. The exemplar, Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S), provides professional development experiences to facilitate the advancement of students of color achieving outstanding Earth system careers. Undergraduate and graduate students are supported through access to scientific conferences, mentorship and virtual community building. Framed by critical theory, this ethnographic exploration uses a mixed methods research design to record, observe, and analyze both the processes and products of the website, listserv and synchronous web-based dialogue. First, key findings of the formative evaluation and annual reports of the successfully implemented 2003 MS PHD'S Pilot Project are presented. These findings inform future evaluations of the use of technological resources and illustrate how this public space provides peer support and enriched research opportunities. Quantitative methods such as statistical analysis, academic and professional tracking and evaluative tools for scientific content and competency are complimented by qualitative methods that include observations, heuristic case studies and focus group interviews. The findings of this ongoing investigation will provide insight on how national organizations, higher education practitioners, community-based support systems and underrepresented minorities in the sciences promote diversity by developing

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

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Villani

2017-04-01

elements of distinction that allow the PMST to have its own identity. The second category was organized in order to join the articles that were focused on the possible contributions of the PM courses to the teacher education in science. The meta analysis of these contributions was developed based on an analysis scheme constructed by the authors that establish eight dimensions to characterize the teacher professional development: scientific knowledge update; pedagogical knowledge update; educational organization and leading; student’s learning support; participation in the school management; investigation of its own practice; planning the professional career; and participation in social responsibility. Despite the controversies presented in the first category, all the articles joined in the second category consider that the PMST represent educational spaces with potential to promote the professional development of teachers in different dimensions of their career.

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…

Comparing Swedish and Norwegian Teachers' Professional Development: How Human Capital and Social Capital Factor into Teachers' Reading Habits

Science.gov (United States)

Reichenberg, Monica; Andreassen, Rune

2018-01-01

The present study compares how Swedish (n = 340) and Norwegian (n = 236) teachers' human capital and social capital support reading habits as an aspect of professional development. The overall aim was to describe how teachers' human and social capital support their professional development as measured by the aspect of reading habits during leisure…

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

RELATIVE MPORTANCE OF PAY LEVEL SATISFACTION, CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND SUPERVISOR SUPPORT IN PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

OpenAIRE

Hasnu, Muhammed WASEEM SAF

2010-01-01

This paper presents the relative impact of supervisor support, pay level satisfaction & career growth opportunities on the development of perceived organizational support (POS) of employees. Survey data were collected from banking sector professionals working in the branches of four major private commercial banks of Pakistan in Hazara Division. The findings of this study highlighted that “career growth opportunities” is a stronger predictor of POS than supervisor support and pay level...

Development of guidelines for tertiary education institutions to assist them in supporting students with a mental illness: a Delphi consensus study with Australian professionals and consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola J. Reavley

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Background. The age at which most young people are in tertiary education is also the age of peak onset for mental illness. Because mental health problems can have adverse effects on students’ academic performance and welfare, institutions require guidance how they can best provide support. However, the scientific evidence for how best to do this is relatively limited. Therefore a Delphi expert consensus study was carried out with professional and consumer experts.Methods. A systematic review of websites, books and journal articles was conducted to develop a 172 item survey containing strategies that institutions might use to support students with a mental illness. Two panels of Australian experts (74 professionals and 35 consumers were recruited and independently rated the items over three rounds, with strategies reaching consensus on importance written into the guidelines.Results. The overall response rate across three rounds was 83% (80% consumers, 85% professionals. 155 strategies were endorsed as essential or important by at least 80% of panel members. The endorsed strategies provided information on policy, measures to promote support services, service provision, accessibility of support services, relationships between services, other types of support and issues associated with reasonable adjustments. They also provided guidance on the procedures the institutions should have for making staff aware of issues associated with mental illness, mental illness training, support for staff and communicating with a student with a mental illness. They also covered student rights and responsibilities, the procedures the institutions should have for making students aware of issues associated with mental illness, dealing with mental health crises, funding and research and evaluation.Conclusions. The guidelines provide guidance for tertiary institutions to assist them in supporting students with a mental illness. It is hoped that they may be used to

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…

Teachers' Continuing Professional Development in Primary Physical Education: Lessons from Present and Past to Inform the Future

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Kathleen M.; Duncombe, Rebecca

2004-01-01

There is a growing recognition that teachers' learning, and effective policies and structures to support it, should be at the heart of government polices to improve standards in education (Day, 1999). In England, the continuing professional development (CPD) landscape for teachers is changing; and professional development in physical education…

Collaborative groups: a reflective look for the professional development of mathematics teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila Bernardo Martins

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The present work aims to present the conceptual characteristics about collaborative groups and to identify their importance in the professional development process of teachers who teach Mathematics. For this, we adopt a methodology of bibliographic research in which we bring authors who discuss this theme. Our theoretical framework is supported by authors who discuss the importance of collaborative groups in the teaching of Mathematics. The results show that the collaborative groups contribute to the professional development of teachers by promoting, through reflexivity, spaces of collective discussions about the practice of teachers in the classroom.

Teachers' professional development in a community: A study of the central actors, their networks and web-based learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiri Lallimo

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The goal of this article was to study teachers' professional development related to web-based learning in the context of the teacher community. The object was to learn in what kind of networks teachers share the knowledge of web-based learning and what are the factors in the community that support or challenge teachers professional development of web-based learning. The findings of the study revealed that there are teachers who are especially active, called the central actors in this study, in the teacher community who collaborate and share knowledge of web-based learning. These central actors share both technical and pedagogical knowledge of web-based learning in networks that include both internal and external relations in the community and involve people, artefacts and a variety of media. Furthermore, the central actors appear to bridge different fields of teaching expertise in their community.According to the central actors' experiences the important factors that support teachers' professional development of web-based learning in the community are; the possibility to learn from colleagues and from everyday working practices, an emotionally safe atmosphere, the leader's personal support and community-level commitment. Also, the flexibility in work planning, challenging pupils, shared lessons with colleagues, training events in an authentic work environment and colleagues' professionalism are considered meaningful for professional development. As challenges, the knowledge sharing of web-based learning in the community needs mutual interests, transactive memory, time and facilities, peer support, a safe atmosphere and meaningful pedagogical practices.On the basis of the findings of the study it is suggested that by intensive collaboration related to web-based learning it may be possible to break the boundaries of individual teachership and create such sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development in the teacher

Lesson study: Professional development and its impact on science teacher self-efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Megan Rae

This study focuses on an analysis of a professional development program known as lesson study via data obtained during an in-service professional development program for secondary school science teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy beliefs of one group of science teachers related to their experiences in a lesson study. Another purpose for this research, aligned with the first, included a theoretical analysis of the lesson study construct to see if its design promoted positive self-efficacy beliefs of its participants. The research is framed within the context of social constructivism and self-efficacy and is qualitative in nature and utilized descriptive analysis as a means of research. Case studies were conducted detailing two of the six participants. Data sources included researcher field notes and transcriptions of all planning and debriefing sessions; individual interviews with each participant and the schools' principal; a participant questionnaire, and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument. Themes that emerged included the positive perceptions of lesson study as a collaborative and teacher-centered experience; the understanding that lesson study can instill a sense of professionalism to those who participate in the process; the sense that discussing student learning using objective observations from classroom is a powerful way to assess learning and uncover personal teacher beliefs; and the insight that the time commitment that lesson study requires can inhibit teachers and schools from sustaining it as a form of on-going professional development. Although these themes are consistent with the research on lesson study in Japan and elsewhere in the United States, they also extend the research on self-efficacy and science teacher professional development. In the end, this study supported some of the conclusions of the self-efficacy research as it relates to professional development while also adding that interpersonal

Happiness, Work Engagement, and Perception of Organizational Support of Student Affairs Professionals

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Hempfling, Michele Sheets

2015-01-01

Little research has been conducted on the work engagement, subjective happiness, or perceived organizational support of student affairs professionals. In this study, 299 professionals in the American College Personnel Association were surveyed utilizing the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Survey of Perceived…

Re-thinking professional development and accountability: towards a more educational training practice

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Emmett Yvonne

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this article, I discuss the contribution of theoretical resources to the transformation in my thinking about professional development and accountability, within an action research self-study of practice as a civil servant, in the context of participation on the Doctor in Education (Leadership programme at Dublin City University (DCU in the period 2008-2012. It is at the intersection of these subject positions, between theory and practice, that professional development was explored through the ‘leadership problem’ of encouraging trainer colleagues to investigate the educational potential of information and communications technologies (ICT for the development of their practice. Ultimately, this constituted a critical space for sustained dialogue between the self and the social in exploring professional subjectivity. The resources discussed supported the interrogation of social, cultural and historical conditions influencing self-understanding and narrative reasoning (Tamboukou, 2008 and movement from strategic to communicative reasoning (Habermas, 1984. It is claimed that this has significance for the development of a more educational training practice, which expresses a concern for subjectivity and agency in the face of a growing ‘performativity’ in professional life (Ball, 2003.

The Language of Collaboration: Dialogue and Identity in Teacher Professional Development

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Crafton, Linda; Kaiser, Eileen

2011-01-01

This article explores several professional development models currently being used in the US and in other countries to support teacher learning, including coaching, mentoring and communities of practice. While in some contexts the activities of the participants are informed by social constructivist views of learning, the authors argue that…

Organizational impact of nurse supply and workload on nurses continuing professional development opportunities: an integrative review.

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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.

A QUEST for sustainable continuing professional development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

2017-01-01

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...... 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...... experiencing changes in collaboration and classroom practice. Furthermore there seems to be a delayed correlation between schools with the most sustained PLC activities and student outcomes. Factors supporting sustainability are discussed, these include scaffolding the teachers’ collaborative inquiries...

Using longitudinal mixed methods to study the development of professional behaviours during pharmacy work-based training.

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Jee, Samuel D; Schafheutle, Ellen I; Noyce, Peter R

2017-05-01

Recent longitudinal investigations of professional socialisation and development of professional behaviours during work-based training are lacking. Using longitudinal mixed methods, this study aimed to explore the development of professional behaviours during a year of intensive work-based (pre-registration) training in pharmacy. Twenty trainee pharmacists and their tutors completed semi-structured interview and professional behaviour questionnaires at four time points during 2011/2012: months 1, 4 and 9 during training and 4 months after registration; tutors participated in months 1 and 9. Interviews were analysed thematically using template analysis, and questionnaires were analysed using ANOVA and t-tests. Self-assessed (trainee) and tutor ratings of all elements of professional behaviours measured in questionnaires (appearance, interpersonal/social skills, responsibility, communication skills) increased significantly from the start of pre-registration training to post-registration. Some elements, for example, communication skills, showed more change over time compared with others, such as appearance, and continued to improve post-registration. Qualitative findings highlighted the changing roles of trainees and learning experiences that appeared to facilitate the development of professional behaviours. Trainees' colleagues, and particularly tutors, played an essential part in trainees' development through offering support and role modelling. Trainees noted that they would have benefited from more responsibilities during training to ease the transition into practising as a responsible pharmacist. Longitudinal mixed methods can unpack the way in which professional behaviours develop during work-based training and allow researchers to examine changes in the demonstration of professional behaviours and how they occur. Identifying areas less prone to change allows for more focus to be given to supporting trainees in areas where there is a development need, such as

Developing Opportunities for Professional Counselors.

Science.gov (United States)

Vacc, Nicholas A.

Because cancer patients and their families have special psychological needs that are not always met through medical care, the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University established the Cancer Patient Support Program (CPSP) at the Oncology Research Center. Services provided by the CPSP's 2 professional counselors and approximately 35…

Building Bridges between healthcare professionals, patients and families: A coproduced and integrated approach to self-management support in stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Fiona; Pöstges, Heide; Brimicombe, Lucinda

2016-10-14

Programmes providing self-management support for patients and families are gaining attention and have shown promising outcomes with regards to reducing long-term unmet needs post stroke. However, notions of what good self-management support looks like can differ depending on professional opinion, individual preferences, skills and experiences of patients and their families as well as on how care and rehabilitation is organised in a particular healthcare setting. This resonates with the perspective of patient-centred care, according to which the meaning of good care is not universal, but rather jointly shaped between healthcare professionals and patients in everyday interactions. While self-management support is continuously co-produced in care and rehabilitation practices, most self-management programmes are typically provided as an 'add-on' to existing statutory care. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of how self-management support can be made an integral part of everyday care and rehabilitation using Bridges methodology. The authors provide a self-reflective account on 'Bridges' an integrated approach to self-management support, which is used by healthcare professionals within acute and community stroke rehabilitation across the UK, and in some parts of New Zealand and Australia. Bridges is based on self-efficacy principles, but has a central aim of professionals sharing decision-making and expertise with patients and families in every healthcare interaction. Methodologically, the co-production of a Bridges support package with local healthcare professionals and patients is critical. The authors present the values articulated by the support package and how it engages professionals, patients and Bridges training facilitators in a continuous process of adjusting and re-adjusting situated self-management support practices. Our reflections reveal the need to consider development and implementation of self-management support as one and the same on

The Principal as Professional Development Leader

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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,…

Information technology and social sciences: how can health IT be used to support the health professional?

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner-Menghin, Michaela; Pokieser, Peter

2016-10-01

Keeping up to date with the increasing amount of health-related knowledge and managing the increasing numbers of patients with more complex clinical problems is a challenge for healthcare professionals and healthcare systems. Health IT applications, such as electronic health records or decision-support systems, are meant to support both professionals and their support systems. However, for physicians using these applications, the applications often cause new problems, such as the impracticality of their use in clinical practice. This review adopts a social sciences perspective to understand these problems and derive suggestions for further development. Indeed, humans use tools to remediate the brain's weaknesses and enhance thinking. Available health IT tools have been shaped to fit administrative needs rather than physicians' needs. To increase the beneficial effect of health IT applications in health care, clinicians' style of thinking and their learning needs must be considered when designing and implementing such systems. New health IT tools must be shaped to fit health professionals' needs. To further ease the integration of new health IT tools into clinical practice, we must also consider the effects of implementing new tools on the wider social framework. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

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".…

The role of inter-professional relationships and support for nurse prescribing in acute and chronic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Karen; Courtenay, Molly

2008-08-01

This paper is a report of a study to explore nurse prescribers' views on the role of inter-professional relationships and other means of support for nurse prescribing for patients in acute and chronic pain. Research indicates that good team relationships are important for supporting nurse prescribing but that poor understanding of the role by other healthcare professionals can act as a barrier. While collaborative working is central to the role of pain nurses, there is a lack of research on the impact of nurse prescribing on inter-professional working or the support needs of these nurses. A qualitative approach was adopted using thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data collected during 2006 and 2007. Participants were 26 nurses who prescribed medicines for patients with acute and/or chronic pain. Nurses' believed that prescribing encouraged collaborative working and sharing of knowledge across professional boundaries and that this helped to broaden understanding of the wider remit of pain management. Collaboration with doctors served a number of functions, including support and continuous learning. Barriers to effective nurse prescribing were a lack of understanding of its role amongst healthcare professionals and inadequate support. Formal support structures, such as regular clinical supervision, were seen as crucial to meeting nurses' ongoing learning. Factors that promote understanding of nurse prescribing and support inter-professional relationships are likely to have a positive impact on the effectiveness of nurse prescribing. A more consistent approach is required within organisations to support nurse prescribing.

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.

Professional development as seen by children’s education teachers in a training-research context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Regina Brostolin

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This article presents part of a broader research developed between July 2010 and October 2013 and proposes an analysis of the professional development of four children’s education teachers participating in a training-research group. The resource used to give support to the reflections was the production of (auto biographical narratives stimulated by mnemonic resources such as photos, films, objects, etc. The analysis reflects their formative journeys and professional development. The fragments analyzed showed the progress of the teachers, from getting to know the school as a space for learning and professional development, remembering moments of initial training, teaching initiation and, later, investing in their career by means of new courses, lato and strictu sensu. The narratives also show that the teachers are aware of their obligation and of the complexity involved in educating a child universally, and of their vulnerability, as well as of the need for constructing their specific professional life that integrates knowledge on childhood in the 21st century.

Gender Variant and Transgender Issues in a Professional Development Book Group

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Bruce; Bach, Jacqueline

2009-01-01

The idea for a professional development book group emerged from the authors ongoing conversations with colleagues about how teachers can gain the understanding necessary not only to foster and support gender variant and transgender students, but also incorporate these experiences into their curriculum in a meaningful way. In this article, the…

Innovative educational methods and technologies applicable to continuing professional development in periodontology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mattheos, N.; Schoonheim-Klein, M.; Walmsley, A.D.; Chapple, I.L.C.

2010-01-01

Continuous professional development (CPD) in Periodontology refers to the overall framework of opportunities that facilitate a life-long learning practice, driven by the learner-practitioner and supported by a variety of institutions and individuals. CPD must address different needs for a great

Remedial teaching in Indian under-resourced communities: Professional development of para-teachers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raval, Harini; McKenney, Susan; Pieters, Julius Marie

2014-01-01

This paper presents a summative evaluation of a professional development program for para-teachers within an Indian NGO. The program aimed to support para-teachers in well-structured learner-centered enactment by introducing planning and reflection of daily lessons. The study investigated lesson

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,…

Professional Development and Use of Digital Technologies by Science Teachers: a Review of Theoretical Frameworks

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Geraldo W. Rocha; Rodrigues, António M.; Ferreira, Carlos Alberto

2018-03-01

This article aims to characterise the research on science teachers' professional development programs that support the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the main trends concerning the theoretical frameworks (theoretical foundation, literature review or background) that underpin these studies. Through a systematic review of the literature, 76 articles were found and divided into two axes on training science teachers and the use of digital technologies with their categories. The first axis (characterisation of articles) presents the category key features that characterise the articles selected (major subjects, training and actions for the professional development and major ICT tools and digital resources). The second axis (trends of theoretical frameworks) has three categories organised in theoretical frameworks that emphasise the following: (a) the digital technologies, (b) prospects of curricular renewal and (c) cognitive processes. It also characterised a group of articles with theoretical frameworks that contain multiple elements without deepening them or that even lack a theoretical framework that supports the studies. In this review, we found that many professional development programs for teachers still use inadequate strategies for bringing about change in teacher practices. New professional development proposals are emerging with the objective of minimising such difficulties and this analysis could be a helpful tool to restructure those proposals.

Developing an online professional network for veterinary education: the NOVICE project.

Science.gov (United States)

Baillie, Sarah; Kinnison, Tierney; Forrest, Neil; Dale, Vicki H M; Ehlers, Jan P; Koch, Michael; Mándoki, Mira; Ciobotaru, Emilia; de Groot, Esther; Boerboom, Tobias B B; van Beukelen, Peter

2011-01-01

An online professional network for veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary educationalists, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) educationalists is being developed under the EU (European Union) Lifelong Learning Programme. The network uses Web 2.0, a term used to describe the new, more interactive version of the Internet, and includes tools such as wikis, blogs, and discussion boards. Focus groups conducted with qualified and student veterinarians within the project's five founding countries (The Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, Romania) demonstrated that online professional communities can be valuable for accessing information and establishing contacts. Online networks have the potential to overcome common challenges to face-to-face communities-such as distance, cost, and timing-but they have their own drawbacks, such as security and professionalism issues. The Network Of Veterinary ICt in Education (NOVICE) was developed using Elgg, an open-source, free social networking platform, after several software options had been considered. NOVICE aims to promote the understanding of Web 2.0, confidence to use social software tools, and participation in an online community. Therefore, the Web site contains help sections, Frequently Asked Questions, and access to support from ICT experts. Five months after the network's launch (and just over one year into the project) 515 members from 28 countries had registered. Further research will include analysis of a core group's activities, which will inform ongoing support for and development of informal, lifelong learning in a veterinary context.

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.

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.

A professional development model for medical laboratory scientists working in the microbiology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Amerson, Megan H; Pulido, Lila; Garza, Melinda N; Ali, Faheem A; Greenhill, Brandy; Einspahr, Christopher L; Yarsa, Joseph; Sood, Pramilla K; Hu, Peter C

2012-01-01

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is committed to providing the best pathology and medicine through: state-of-the art techniques, progressive ground-breaking research, education and training for the clinical diagnosis and research of cancer and related diseases. After surveying the laboratory staff and other hospital professionals, the Department administrators and Human Resource generalists developed a professional development model for Microbiology to support laboratory skills, behavior, certification, and continual education within its staff. This model sets high standards for the laboratory professionals to allow the labs to work at their fullest potential; it provides organization to training technologists based on complete laboratory needs instead of training technologists in individual areas in which more training is required if the laboratory needs them to work in other areas. This model is a working example for all microbiology based laboratories who want to set high standards and want their staff to be acknowledged for demonstrated excellence and professional development in the laboratory. The PDM model is designed to focus on the needs of the laboratory as well as the laboratory professionals.

Strategies for Teaching Regional Climate Modeling: Online Professional Development for Scientists and Decision Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, P.; Yarker, M. B.; Mesquita, M. D. S.; Otto, F. E. L.

2014-12-01

There is a clear role for climate science in supporting decision making at a range of scales and in a range of contexts: from Global to local, from Policy to Industry. However, clear a role climate science can play, there is also a clear discrepancy in the understanding of how to use the science and associated tools (such as climate models). Despite there being a large body of literature on the science there is clearly a need to provide greater support in how to apply appropriately. However, access to high quality professional development courses can be problematic, due to geographic, financial and time constraints. In attempt to address this gap we independently developed two online professional courses that focused on helping participants use and apply two regional climate models, WRF and PRECIS. Both courses were designed to support participants' learning through tutor led programs that covered the basic climate scientific principles of regional climate modeling and how to apply model outputs. The fundamental differences between the two courses are: 1) the WRF modeling course expected participants to design their own research question that was then run on a version of the model, whereas 2) the PRECIS course concentrated on the principles of regional modeling and how the climate science informed the modeling process. The two courses were developed to utilise the cost and time management benefits associated with eLearning, with the recognition that this mode of teaching can also be accessed internationally, providing professional development courses in countries that may not be able to provide their own. The development teams saw it as critical that the courses reflected sound educational theory, to ensure that participants had the maximum opportunity to learn successfully. In particular, the role of reflection is central to both course structures to help participants make sense of the science in relation to their own situation. This paper details the different

Policy on professional support in return-to-work: Occupational health professionals' experiences in a Canadian setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Maiwald, Karin; Meershoek, Agnes; de Rijk, Angelique; Nijhuis, Frans J N

2015-01-01

In Canada and other countries, sickness-based absences among workers is an economic and sociological problem. Return-to-work (RTW) policy developed by both employer and worker' representatives (that is, bipartite policy) is preferred to tackle this problem. The intent was to examine how this bipartite agreed-upon RTW policy works from the perspective of occupational health professionals (those who deliver RTW services to workers with temporary or permanent disabilities) in a public healthcare organization in Canada. In-depth interviews were held with 9 occupational health professionals and transcribed verbatim. A qualitative, social constructivist, analysis was completed. The occupational health professionals experienced four main problems: 1) timing and content of physicians' medical advice cannot be trusted as a basis for RTW plans; 2) legal status of the plans and thus needing workers' consent and managers' approval can create tension, conflict and delays; 3) limited input and thus little fruitful inference in transdisciplinary meetings at the workplace; and yet 4) the professionals can be called to account for plans. Bipartite representation in developing RTW policy does not entirely delete bottlenecks in executing the policy. Occupational health professionals should be offered more influence and their professionalism needs to be enhanced.

Fostering professional formation in residency: development and evaluation of the "forum" seminar series.

Science.gov (United States)

Nothnagle, Melissa; Reis, Shmuel; Goldman, Roberta E; Anandarajah, Gowri

2014-01-01

Residency training is a critical time for physicians' professional formation. However, few structured interventions exist to support residents in this transformative process of integrating personal and professional values, a process that is essential to physician identity formation and preservation of core values such as service and compassion. The authors created a seminar series, the "Forum," to support resident professional formation and address the hidden curriculum as part of a larger intervention to support self-directed learning skills such as goal setting and reflection. Ninety-minute sessions with senior residents and faculty held every other month include opportunities for individual reflection, small- and large-group discussion, and brief didactic components focused on skills such as teaching and leadership. The qualitative program evaluation included analyses of individual semistructured interviews with resident and faculty participants from 2008 to 2011 and of notes recorded by an observer during the 1st year's sessions. Residents appreciated the focus on relevant issues, presence of faculty, opportunities for reflection and interactivity, and inclusion of practical skills. Effects attributed to the Forum included gaining practical skills, feeling a deeper connection to one another and a sense of community, and recognizing progress in their own professional development and growth. Elements described in the literature as essential to professional formation, including encouraging reflection, use of narrative, role modeling, addressing the hidden curriculum, and fostering an authentic community, were recognized by participants as integral to the Forum's success. A group forum for reflection and discussion with peers and role models, tailored to local needs, offers an effective structure to foster professional formation in residency.

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)

Barriers and facilitators to parents seeking and accessing professional support for anxiety disorders in children: qualitative interview study.

Science.gov (United States)

Reardon, Tessa; Harvey, Kate; Young, Bridget; O'Brien, Doireann; Creswell, Cathy

2018-01-25

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders experienced by children, but only a minority of these children access professional help. Understanding the difficulties parents face seeking support for child anxiety disorders could inform targeted interventions to improve treatment access. The aims of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing professional support for child anxiety disorders, and ways to minimise these barriers. A qualitative interview study was conducted with parents of 16 children (aged 7-11 years) with anxiety disorders identified through screening in schools. Barriers and facilitators were identified in relation to four distinct stages in the help-seeking process: parents recognising the anxiety difficulty, parents recognising the need for professional support, parents contacting professionals, and families receiving professional support. Barriers and facilitators at each stage related to the child's difficulties, the role of the parent, and parent perceptions of professionals and services. Findings illustrate the need (1) for readily available tools to help parents and professionals identify clinically significant anxiety in children, (2) to ensure that families and professionals can easily access guidance on the help-seeking process and available support, and (3) to ensure existing services offer sufficient provision for less severe difficulties that incorporates direct support for parents.

Validation of a motivation survey tool for pharmacy students: Exploring a link to professional identity development.

Science.gov (United States)

Mylrea, Martina F; Sen Gupta, Tarun; Glass, Beverley D

2017-09-01

Self-determination theory (SDT), which describes a continuum of motivation regulators, is proposed as an appropriate framework to study pharmacy student motivation. The aim was to develop a Pharmacy Motivation Scale (Pharm-S) to determine motivation regulators in undergraduate students and explore a possible link to professional identity development. The Pharm-S was adapted from the SDT-based, Sports Motivation Scale (SMS-II), and administered to undergraduate students in an Australian pharmacy course. Convergent validity was assessed by conducting a correlation analysis between the Pharm-S and MacLeod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9). Face, content and construct validity were established for the Pharm-S through the analysis of 327 survey responses. Factor analysis extracted four of the six theoretical subscales as proposed by SDT (variance explained: 65.7%). Support for the SDT structure was confirmed by high factor loadings in each of the subscales and acceptable reliability coefficients. Subscale correlations revealed a simplex pattern, supporting the presence of a motivation continuum, as described by SDT. A moderate positive correlation (0.64) between Pharm-S responses and the validated professional identity instrument, MCPIS-9, indicated a possible link between levels of motivation and professional identity. and conclusions: Content and structural validity and internal consistency of the Pharm-S confirmed the reliability of the Pharm-S as a valid tool to assess motivational regulators. Pharm-S and the MCPIS-9 were positively correlated, lending support to a link between motivation and professional identity. This suggests a potential role for the Pharm-S as a valid tool to measure pharmacy student professional identity development. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals

OpenAIRE

Junwei Zheng; Guangdong Wu

2018-01-01

Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizati...

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.

Supporting Professional Learning in a Massive Open Online Course

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Milligan, Colin; Littlejohn, Allison

2014-01-01

Professional learning, combining formal and on the job learning, is important for the development and maintenance of expertise in the modern workplace. To integrate formal and informal learning, professionals have to have good self-regulatory ability. Formal learning opportunities are opening up through massive open online courses (MOOCs),…

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

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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.

Social Media Training for Professional Identity Development in Undergraduate Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, Carey; Cummings, Elizabeth; Nichols, Linda

2016-01-01

The growth of social media use has led to tension affecting the perception of professionalism of nurses in healthcare environments. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore first and final year undergraduate student use of social media to understand how it was utilised by them during their course. Descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken to compare differences between first and final year student use. No difference indicated there was a lack of development in the use of social media, particularly concerning in relation to expanding their professional networks. There is a need for the curriculum to include opportunities to teach student nurses methods to ensure the appropriate and safe use of social media. Overt teaching and modelling of desired behaviour to guide and support the use of social media to positively promote professional identity formation, which is essential for work-readiness at graduation, is necessary.

Teacher Professional Development Strategies in Australian Government and Professional Associations Documents

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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…

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 ...

Career advancement and professional development in nursing.

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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.

Channeling Black Insurgency: Elite Patronage and Professional Social Movement Organizations in the Development of the Black Movement.

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Jenkins, J. Craig; Eckert, Craig M.

1986-01-01

Critically evaluates the theory of patronage and professional social movement organizations (SMOs) in interpreting the development of black insurgency between 1953 and 1980. Findings support and contradict the social contract theory. Professionalization was only one of many reasons for the movement's decline. (Author/PS)

The Substantial Characteristics of Organizational and Pedagogical Conditions of Future Primary School Teachers’ Professional Self-Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artem Smoliuk

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The article presents reasonably organizational and pedagogical conditions of professional self-development of primary school teachers, namely: support of positive motivation of achievement as meeting internal needs of the individual in professional self-development; the use of cognitive and informative opportunities of the content psychological and pedagogical and methodical disciplines for the formation of didactic complex and technological knowledge and skills, abilities to integrate spatial and substantive, informative and motivational, psychological, social and communication components of the educational environment of teachers’ training college; creating rich social and communicative space in the course of interactive cooperation of learning subjects to create students’ “success situations” and demonstrating positive experience of the professional success. The result of these organizational and pedagogical conditions of the professional self-development of primary school teachers have reflexive-value treatment to the personality as a future teacher and professional considering his or her strengths and weaknesses, formed a high level of readiness for professional self-development in his or her chosen profession.

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 ...

The development of professional practice standards for Australian general practice nurses.

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Halcomb, Elizabeth; Stephens, Moira; Bryce, Julianne; Foley, Elizabeth; Ashley, Christine

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to explore the current role of general practice nurses and the scope of nursing practice to inform the development of national professional practice standards for Australian general practice nurses. Increasing numbers of nurses have been employed in Australian general practice to meet the growing demand for primary care services. This has brought significant changes to the nursing role. Competency standards for nurses working in general practice were first developed in Australia in 2005, but limited attention has been placed on articulating the contemporary scope of practice for nurses in this setting. Concurrent mixed methods design. Data collection was conducted during 2013-2014 and involved two online surveys of Registered and Enrolled Nurses currently working in general practice, a series of 14 focus groups across Australia and a series of consultations with key experts. Data collection enabled the development of 22 Practice Standards separated into four domains: (i) Professional Practice; (ii) Nursing Care; (iii) General Practice Environment and (iv) Collaborative Practice. To differentiate the variations in enacting these Standards, performance indicators for the Enrolled Nurse, Registered Nurse and Registered Nurse Advanced Practice are provided under each Standard. The development of national professional practice standards for nurses working in Australian general practice will support ongoing workforce development. These Standards are also an important means of articulating the role and scope of the nurses' practice for both consumers and other health professionals, as well as being a guide for curriculum development and measurement of performance. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

THE ROLE OF SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE COOPERATION BETWEEN PARENTS OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metka NOVAK

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: One of the ways of building and developing a better cooperative relationship between parents of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and professional staff is the inclusion of parents in support groups for parents and staff in support groups for staff. Goal: To examine the correlation of the level of cooperative relationship between the parents of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and professional staff with the inclusion of parents in support groups for parents and staff in support groups for staff. Methodology: Respondents: parents (296 of people with severe and profound learning disabilities and staff (298 in five centres across Slovenia; Methods: descriptive statistics, test of homogeneity, the rankit method, one-way analysis of variance; Procedures: survey questionnaires for parents and staff. The data was processed using SPSS software for personal computers. Results: The difference between the variances of the groups (parent found is statistically significant (F = 6.16; p = 0.01. Staff included in support groups have a significantly lower level of cooperative relationship with parents (f=10; M = - 0.12 than staff not included in these groups (f = 191; M = 0.04. Conclusion:In contrast to theoretical findings the results indicated less successful cooperation for professional staff included in support groups. The results furthermore did not confirm any differences in the cooperative relationship of parents included in support groups and those who are not. We suggest an in-depth analysis of the workings of support groups.

AGU Pathfinder: Career and Professional Development Resources for Earth and Space Scientists

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Harwell, D. E.; Asher, P. M.; Hankin, E. R.; Janick, N. G.; Marasco, L.

2017-12-01

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is committed to inspiring and educating present and future generations of diverse, innovative, and creative Earth and space scientists. To meet our commitment, AGU provides career and educational resources, webinars, mentoring, and support for students and professionals at each level of development to reduce barriers to achievement and to promote professional advancement. AGU is also working with other organizations and educational institutions to collaborate on projects benefiting the greater geoscience community. The presentation will include an overview of current Pathfinder efforts, collaborative efforts, and an appeal for additional partnerships.

Developing a workable teacher identity: Building and negotiating identity within a professional network

Science.gov (United States)

Rostock, Roseanne

The challenge of attracting and retaining the next generation of teachers who are skilled and committed to meeting the growing demands of the profession is of increasing concern to researchers and policy makers, particularly since 45--50% of beginning teachers leave the profession within five years (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003). Reasons for such attrition include compensation, status and working conditions; however, there is growing evidence that a critical factor in new teacher retention hinges on teachers' ability to accomplish the difficult task of forming a workable professional identity in the midst of competing discourses about teaching (Alsup, 2006; Britzman, 2003). There is little research on professional identity development among those beginning teachers at highest risk for attrition (secondary math and science teachers, and those with strong academic backgrounds). This study explores the professional identity development of early-career math and science teachers who are part of the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation's (KSTF) teaching fellowship program, an external support network that aims to address many of the issues leading to high attrition among this particular population of teachers. Using narrative research methods, I examine three case studies of beginning teachers, exploring how they construct professional identity in relation to various discourse communities and negotiate tensions across multiple discourses. The cases identify both dominant discourses and counter-discourses that the teachers draw upon for important identity development resources. They also demonstrate that the way a teacher manages tensions across competing discourses is important to how well one can negotiate a workable professional identity. In particular, they emphasize the importance of engaging in borderland discourses (Gee, 1996) as a way of taking agency in one's own identity development as well as in transforming one's discourse communities. These cases shed light on how

Maternity care professionals' perceptions of supporting employed women in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Alstveit, Marit; Severinsson, Elisabeth; Karlsen, Bjørg

2011-09-01

The World Health Organization calls on health professionals to support women in combining maternity and work. The aim of this study was to explore midwives' and public health nurses' perceptions of supporting employed women to balance work and family life during pregnancy and early motherhood. An exploratory design, including multistage focus group interviews, was used. The focus group consisted of five midwives and one public health nurse who was working in maternity care. The data were analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. The comprehensive theme, "empowering the women when they are in 'another' state of normality", was based on two themes, "being in dialogue with the women" and "supporting the women to manage daily activities". The first theme was based on the subthemes, "perceiving the women to be in 'another' state of normality" and "providing an open atmosphere for dialogue", while the second subtheme was based on "confirming self-esteem" and "suggesting adjustments at work". The midwives and public health nurse empowered the women by enhancing their ability to carry out the self-care that was necessary in order to manage both their work and family life. Collaboration between maternity healthcare providers and employers should be developed in order to support employed women. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Linking University and Teacher Communities: A "Think Tank" Model of Professional Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Sarah K.; Scott, Judith A.; Wells, Jan; Skobel, Bonnie; Jones, Alan; Cross, Susie; Butler, Cynthia; Blackstone, Teresa

1999-01-01

Rather than informing the teaching community about good research, five experienced teachers and three university researchers developed a discourse community around vocabulary learning to reflect on practice, engage in shared critiques, and support professional choices. In doing so, they were able to inform the research community about good…

Professional Development in the International Year of Astronomy: Expanding the Universe in the Classroom

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Reinfeld, Erika L.; Harman, P.; Lee, M. H.; Bailey, J. M.

2008-05-01

The International Year of Astronomy offers unparalleled opportunity to expand our audiences’ understanding about the universe. However, many learners, students and adults alike, are unfamiliar with the universe beyond the solar system. This collaborative workshop explores strategies for teacher professional development around the origin and evolution of the universe, using the resources of the Beyond the Solar System Professional Development Project as a guide. The Beyond the Solar System (BtSS) Professional Development Project is a NASA-supported initiative from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) designed to foster public understanding of NASA's exciting astronomy and space science research. The BtSS portfolio includes video resources, assessment tools, data about common student ideas, content presentations, online telescope investigations, and other classroom activities designed to deepen content knowledge and improve the quality of teaching and learning about current scientific models and evidence for the origin and evolution of our universe of galaxies. During this session, members of the BtSS Leadership Team from around the country will share their experience using these resources in educator workshops and teacher-training courses, and facilitate discussions among workshop participants about how these materials and pedagogical strategies can be used in their own professional development efforts during the International Year of Astronomy. EPO specialists and scientists will engage in focused exploration of the project's DVD--"Expanding the Universe in the Classroom"--in order make explicit connections between the themes of the International Year of Astronomy and their own work. The goals of this workshop are to equip professional development providers to support IYA education efforts in classrooms, afterschool programs, and informal education venues and to raise awareness about the opportunities for continuing Galileo's legacy of discovery

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…

Work Stress and Depression among Direct Support Professionals: The Role of Work Support and Locus of Control

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Gray-Stanley, J. A.; Muramatsu, N.; Heller, T.; Hughes, S.; Johnson, T. P.; Ramirez-Valles, J.

2010-01-01

Background: Although work stress can impede the capacity of direct support professionals and contribute to mental health challenges, external (i.e. work social support) and internal resources (i.e. an internal locus of control) have been shown to help DSPs cope more actively. We examined how work stress was associated with depression, with a…

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

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.

Transformative professional development of physicians as educators: assessment of a model.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Elizabeth G; Doyle, Jennifer; Bennett, Nancy L

2003-07-01

Medical education reform has been the clarion call of U.S. medical educators and policymakers for two decades. To foster change and seed reform, Harvard Medical School created a professional development program for physicians and scientists actively engaged in educating future physicians that sought to transform both participants and their schools. This study focused on identifying the long-term effects of a professional development program on physician educators. A follow-up survey of the 1995-97 cohorts of the Harvard Macy Program for Physician Educators was conducted by sending the 99 program participants a questionnaire two years after their participation. Main outcome measures studied were individual changes as reflected in participants' self-reported shifts in teaching behaviors, academic productivity, career advancement, and sense of commitment. A total of 63 participants completed the questionnaire, for a response rate of 63.6%. Two years following participation in the program, a majority (88.8%) of respondents reported that participation had significantly affected their professional development, including long-term changes in teaching behaviors (77.8%), engagement in new educational activities from committee work (86%) to grant funding (52.4%), and renewed vitality/identification of themselves as educators. Long-term follow-up of participants enrolled in an intensive program for physician educators suggests that professional development programs that create an immersion experience designed in a high-challenge, high-support environment, emphasizing experiential and participatory activities can change behaviors in significant ways, and that these changes endure over time.

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…

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.

Challenges for Teachers in Developing their Teaching Professionalism: A Case Study of Secondary School in Makassar, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan Tanang

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Identifying challenges for teachers in developing their professionalism in teaching to improve students’ learning outcomes. The focus was addressed on the development of teaching professionalism in improving knowledge and skills of Junior High School teachers in Makassar Indonesia. This study employed qualitative methods through a case study to identify the barriers of professionalism in teaching. 36 samples for open-ended questionnaire and nine of them are selected purposively to be interviewed. The data was analyzed by coding based on themes related to constraints in teaching management. The results showed four obstacles experienced by teachers in developing their professionalism, namely constraints on textbooks and student worksheets, school laboratory usage, ICT-based media, and the students themselves. The identification could encourage the community and parents support to finance the development of professionalism in teaching and to help the teachers work effectively

Integrating Professional Development into STEM Graduate Programs: Student-Centered Programs for Career Preparation

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Lautz, L.; McCay, D.; Driscoll, C. T.; Glas, R. L.; Gutchess, K. M.; Johnson, A.; Millard, G.

2017-12-01

Recognizing that over half of STEM Ph.D. graduates are finding work outside of academia, a new, NSF-funded program at Syracuse University, EMPOWER (or Education Model Program on Water-Energy Research) is encouraging its graduate students to take ownership of their graduate program and design it to meet their anticipated needs. Launched in 2016, EMPOWER's goal is to prepare graduate students for careers in the water-energy field by offering targeted workshops, professional training coursework, a career capstone experience, a professional development mini-grant program, and an interdisciplinary "foundations" seminar. Through regular student feedback and program evaluation, EMPOWER has learned some important lessons this first year: career options and graduate students' interests are diverse, requiring individualized programs designed to meet the needs of prospective employers and employees; students need exposure to the range of careers in their field to provide a roadmap for designing their own graduate school experience; effective programs nurture a culture that values professional development thereby giving students permission to pursue career paths and professional development opportunities that meet their own needs and interests; and existing university resources support the effective and efficient integration of professional development activities into graduate programs. Many of the positive outcomes experienced by EMPOWER students may be achieved in departmental graduate programs with small changes to their graduate curricula.

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,…

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…

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…

Improving Teachers' Knowledge of Functional Assessment-Based Interventions: Outcomes of a Professional Development Series

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Oakes, Wendy Peia; Powers, Lisa; Diebold, Tricia; Germer, Kathryn; Common, Eric A.; Brunsting, Nelson

2015-01-01

This paper provides outcomes of a study examining the effectiveness of a year-long professional development training series designed to support in-service educators in learning a systematic approach to functional assessment-based interventions developed by Umbreit and colleagues (2007) that has met with demonstrated success when implemented with…

Using Action Research to Engage K-6 Teachers in Nature of Science Inquiry as Professional Development

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Cullen, Theresa A.; Akerson, Valarie L.; Hanson, Deborah L.

2010-12-01

Teachers are required to work with data on a daily basis to assess the effectiveness of their teaching strategies, but may not approach it as research. This paper presents a reflective discussion of how and when a professional development team used an action research project to help 12 K-6 teachers explore the effectiveness of reform based Nature of Science (NOS) teaching strategies in their classrooms. The team encouraged community development and provided “just in time” supports to scaffold the steps of the action research process for teachers. The discussion includes concerns they addressed and issues related to management and support of the professional development model. Evaluation results are shared to suggest how this approach can be improved in the future.

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…

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....

Genetic education and the challenge of genomic medicine: development of core competences to support preparation of health professionals in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skirton, Heather; Lewis, Celine; Kent, Alastair

2010-01-01

in professional education and regulation between European countries, setting curricula may not be practical. Core competences are used as a basis for health professional education in many fields and settings. An Expert Group working under the auspices of the EuroGentest project and European Society of Human...... and professions has resulted in an adaptable framework for both pre-registration and continuing professional education. This competence framework has the potential to improve the quality of genetic health care for patients globally.......The use of genetics and genomics within a wide range of health-care settings requires health professionals to develop expertise to practise appropriately. There is a need for a common minimum standard of competence in genetics for health professionals in Europe but because of differences...

Transformation and Framework of Teacher Professional Development in Taiwan

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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…

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.

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.

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.

Facilitating Support Groups for Professionals Working with People with AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossman, Arnold H.; Silverstein, Charles

1993-01-01

Describes support groups for health care professionals who work with people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and who are experiencing burnout from excessive demands on their energy, strength, and resources. Discusses group administration, effective intervention techniques, and issues of health…

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…

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…

Development and validation of a new tool measuring nurses self-reported professional competence--the nurse professional competence (NPC) Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Jan; Johansson, Eva; Egmar, Ann-Charlotte; Florin, Jan; Leksell, Janeth; Lepp, Margret; Lindholm, Christina; Nordström, Gun; Theander, Kersti; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil; Carlsson, Marianne; Gardulf, Ann

2014-04-01

To develop and validate a new tool intended for measuring self-reported professional competence among both nurse students prior to graduation and among practicing nurses. The new tool is based on formal competence requirements from the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare, which in turn are based on WHO guidelines. A methodological study including construction of a new scale and evaluation of its psychometric properties. 1086 newly graduated nurse students from 11 universities/university colleges. The analyses resulted in a scale named the NPC (Nurse Professional Competence) Scale, consisting of 88 items and covering eight factors: "Nursing care", "Value-based nursing care", "Medical/technical care", "Teaching/learning and support", "Documentation and information technology", "Legislation in nursing and safety planning", "Leadership in and development of nursing care" and "Education and supervision of staff/students". All factors achieved Cronbach's alpha values greater than 0.70. A second-order exploratory analysis resulted in two main themes: "Patient-related nursing" and "Nursing care organisation and development". In addition, evidence of known-group validity for the NPC Scale was obtained. The NPC Scale, which is based on national and international professional competence requirements for nurses, was comprehensively tested and showed satisfactory psychometrical properties. It can e.g. be used to evaluate the outcomes of nursing education programmes, to assess nurses' professional competences in relation to the needs in healthcare organisations, and to tailor introduction programmes for newly employed nurses. © 2013.

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…

Extension Professionals and Community Coalitions: Professional Development Opportunities Related to Leadership and Policy, System, and Environment Change

Science.gov (United States)

Smathers, Carol A.; Lobb, Jennifer M.

2015-01-01

Community coalitions play an important role in community-wide strategies to promote health and wellbeing, and Extension professionals may provide leadership, technical assistance, and other support to coalitions. Extension professionals across a Midwestern state were invited to participate in an online survey about their coalition involvement and…

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)…

The Development of Competent Marketing Professionals

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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…

Defense Threat Reduction Agency > Careers > Professional Development

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Integration Command Senior Enlisted Leader Media News News Archive Strategic Plan Videos Mission Research Support Center Contact Us FAQ Sheet Links Success Stories Contracts Business Opportunities Current Justifications & Approvals Careers Who We Are Our Values Strategic Recruiting Programs Professional

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.

Technologies and Reformed-Based Science Instruction: The Examination of a Professional Development Model Focused on Supporting Science Teaching and Learning with Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Todd; Longhurst, Max L.; Wang, Shiang-Kwei; Hsu, Hui-Yin; Coster, Dan C.

2015-10-01

While access to computers, other technologies, and cyber-enabled resources that could be leveraged for enhancing student learning in science is increasing, generally it has been found that teachers use technology more for administrative purposes or to support traditional instruction. This use of technology, especially to support traditional instruction, sits in opposition to most recent standards documents in science education that call for student involvement in evidence-based sense-making activities. Many see technology as a potentially powerful resource that is reshaping society and has the potential to do the same in science classrooms. To consider the promise of technology in science classrooms, this research investigated the impact of a professional development project focused on enhancing teacher and student learning by using information and communication technologies (ICTs) for engaging students in reformed-based instruction. More specifically, these findings revealed positive teacher outcomes with respect to reformed-based and technology-supported instruction and increased ICT and new literacies skills. When considering students, the findings revealed positive outcomes with respect to ICT and new literacies skills and student achievement in science.

28 Days Later: Twitter Hashtags as "Just in Time" Teacher Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Greenhalgh, Spencer P.; Koehler, Matthew J.

2017-01-01

Researchers have argued that Twitter has potential to support high-quality professional development (PD) that can respond to teachers' questions and concerns just in time and "on the spot." Yet, very little attention has been paid to instances where Twitter has made just-in-time learning possible. In this paper, we examine one instance…

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...

The development and evaluation of an online dementia resource for primary care based health professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aisling A. Jennings

2018-03-01

Conclusion: This study provides a prototype for the development of an online dementia educational resource and demonstrates the value of a dementia-specific services and supports directory for primary care based health professionals.

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.

Electronic Communities: a Forum for Supporting Women Professionals and Students in Technical and Scientific Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Single, Peg Boyle; Muller, Carol B.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Single, Richard M.

In this article, we report on electronic discussion lists (e-lists) sponsored by MentorNet, the National Electronic Industrial Mentoring Network for Women in Engineering and Science. Using the Internet, the MentorNet program connects students in engineering and science with mentors working in industry. These e-lists are a feature of MentorNet's larger electronic mentoring program and were sponsored to foster the establishment of community among women engineering and science students and men and women professionals in those fields. This research supports the hypothesis that electronic communications can be used to develop community among engineering and science students and professionals and identifies factors influencing the emergence of electronic communities (e-communities). The e-lists that emerged into self-sustaining e-communities were focused on topic-based themes, such as balancing personal and work life, issues pertaining to women in engineering and science, and job searching. These e-communities were perceived to be safe places, embraced a diversity of opinions and experiences, and sanctioned personal and meaningful postings on the part of the participants. The e-communities maintained three to four simultaneous threaded discussions and were sustained by professionals who served as facilitators by seeding the e-lists with discussion topics. The e-lists were sponsored to provide women students participating in MentorNet with access to groups of technical and scientific professionals. In addition to providing benefits to the students, the e-lists also provided the professionals with opportunities to engage in peer mentoring with other, mostly female, technical and scientific professionals. We discuss the implications of our findings for developing e-communities and for serving the needs of women in technical and scientific fields.

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.

Systems of career influences: a conceptual model for evaluating the professional development of women in academic medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Magrane, Diane; Helitzer, Deborah; Morahan, Page; Chang, Shine; Gleason, Katharine; Cardinali, Gina; Wu, Chih-Chieh

2012-12-01

Surprisingly little research is available to explain the well-documented organizational and societal influences on persistent inequities in advancement of women faculty. The Systems of Career Influences Model is a framework for exploring factors influencing women's progression to advanced academic rank, executive positions, and informal leadership roles in academic medicine. The model situates faculty as agents within a complex adaptive system consisting of a trajectory of career advancement with opportunities for formal professional development programming; a dynamic system of influences of organizational policies, practices, and culture; and a dynamic system of individual choices and decisions. These systems of influence may promote or inhibit career advancement. Within this system, women weigh competing influences to make career advancement decisions, and leaders of academic health centers prioritize limited resources to support the school's mission. The Systems of Career Influences Model proved useful to identify key research questions. We used the model to probe how research in academic career development might be applied to content and methods of formal professional development programs. We generated a series of questions and hypotheses about how professional development programs might influence professional development of health science faculty members. Using the model as a guide, we developed a study using a quantitative and qualitative design. These analyses should provide insight into what works in recruiting and supporting productive men and women faculty in academic medical centers.

Development of students learning capabilities and professional capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ringtved, Ulla Lunde; Wahl, Christian; Belle, Gianna

This paper describes the work-in-progress on a project that aims todevelop a tool that via learning analytic methods enable studentsto enhance, document and assess the development of their learningcapabilities and professional capabilities in consequence of theirself-initiated study activities...... during their bachelor educations. Thetool aims at enhancing the development of students’ capabilities toself-initiate, self-regulate and self-assess their study activities.The tool uses the concept of collective intelligence as source formotivation and inspiration in self-initiating study activities...... as wellas self-assessing them. The tool is based on a heutagogical approachto support reflection on learning potential in these activities. Thisenhances the educational use of students self-initiated learningactivities by bringing visibility and evidence to them, and therebybringing value to the assessment...

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 ...

Technology Professional Development and Instructional Technology Integration among Part-Time Faculty at Illinois Community Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Roohani, Behnam

2014-01-01

This study focused on exploring Illinois community college faculty development coordinators' perceptions about how they are implementing faculty technology professional development programs and providing technical support for part-time faculty in the Illinois community college systems. Also examined were part-time faculty perceptions of the degree…

Professional development in statistics, technology, and cognitively demanding tasks: classroom implementation and obstacles

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Gregory D.; Bakr Khoshaim, Heba; Alsaeed, Maha; Nihan Er, S.

2012-03-01

Attending professional development programmes can support teachers in applying new strategies for teaching mathematics and statistics. This study investigated (a) the extent to which the participants in a professional development programme subsequently used the techniques they had learned when teaching mathematics and statistics and (b) the obstacles they encountered in enacting cognitively demanding instructional tasks in their classrooms. The programme created an intellectual learning community among the participants and helped them gain confidence as teachers of statistics, and the students of participating teachers became actively engaged in deep mathematical thinking. The participants indicated, however, that time, availability of resources and students' prior achievement critically affected the implementation of cognitively demanding instructional activities.

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.

IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS’ PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TRAINING PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halyna Kovalchuk

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the problem of implementing innovative technologies of future specialists’ personal and professional development in the training process. The necessity of developing professional and personality-centered education is disclosed in National Doctrine of Education Development. The analysis of studied issue proves that it has various components and manifests that are revealed in the scientists’ works (I. Bekh, A. Heilyk, H. Zborovskyi, T. Parson, V. Bezpalko, V. Bykov, S, Ziazun and others. The aim of the article is to highlight the methodological and methodical approaches to future specialists’ personal and professional development by means of innovative teaching technologies. The article discloses some aspects of implementing technologies of profession-oriented, competence and personality-oriented training of future specialists in higher educational establishments. The special attention is paid to their personal and professional development by means of innovative teaching technologies. The personal dimension is considered to be a leading factor of achieving the main aim of humanistic school – personal self-realization. The role of autonomic learning for achieving didactic goals and future specialists’ self-designing at universities is identified. The methodological approaches (anthropocentric and sociocentric, action-praxeological, axiological, acmeological, productive, integrative, interactive, narrative, which promote implementing professional-oriented, competence and personality-centered technologies of future specialists’ training, are characterized. The conclusion is drawn that educational technologies are the main tools for supporting training quality of future specialists in the field of economics and business; forming their professional competences and professionally significant personal qualities that are the components of humanitarian principles of community development; providing quality of life at the

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...

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.

Data Driven Professional Development Design for Out-of-School Time Educators Using Planetary Science and Engineering Educational Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, J.; Bloom, N.

2017-12-01

Data driven design practices should be the basis for any effective educational product, particularly those used to support STEM learning and literacy. Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) is a five-year NASA-funded (NNX16AC53A) interdisciplinary and cross-institutional partnership to develop and disseminate STEM out-of-school time (OST) curricular and professional development units that integrate planetary science, technology, and engineering. The Center for Science Teaching and Learning at Northern Arizona University, the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center, and the Museum of Science Boston are partners in developing, piloting, and researching the impact of three out of school time units. Two units are for middle grades youth and one is for upper elementary aged youth. The presentation will highlight the data driven development process of the educational products used to provide support for educators teaching these curriculum units. This includes how data from the project needs assessment, curriculum pilot testing, and professional support product field tests are used in the design of products for out of school time educators. Based on data analysis, the project is developing and testing four tiers of professional support for OST educators. Tier 1 meets the immediate needs of OST educators to teach curriculum and include how-to videos and other direct support materials. Tier 2 provides additional content and pedagogical knowledge and includes short content videos designed to specifically address the content of the curriculum. Tier 3 elaborates on best practices in education and gives guidance on methods, for example, to develop cultural relevancy for underrepresented students. Tier 4 helps make connections to other NASA or educational products that support STEM learning in out of school settings. Examples of the tiers of support will be provided.

A Computer-Supported Method to Reveal and Assess Personal Professional Theories in Vocational Education

Science.gov (United States)

van den Bogaart, Antoine C. M.; Bilderbeek, Richel J. C.; Schaap, Harmen; Hummel, Hans G. K.; Kirschner, Paul A.

2016-01-01

This article introduces a dedicated, computer-supported method to construct and formatively assess open, annotated concept maps of Personal Professional Theories (PPTs). These theories are internalised, personal bodies of formal and practical knowledge, values, norms and convictions that professionals use as a reference to interpret and acquire…

Improving collaboration between professionals supporting mentally ill offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Hean, Sarah; Ødegård, Atle; Willumsen, Elisabeth

2017-06-12

Purpose Interprofessional collaboration is necessary when supporting mentally ill offenders but little is understood of these interactions. The purpose of this paper is to explore prison officers' perceptions of current and desirable levels of interprofessional collaboration (relational coordination (RC)) to understand how collaboration between these systems can be improved. Design/methodology/approach Gittell's RC scale was administered to prison officers within the Norwegian prison system ( n=160) using an adaptation of the instrument in which actual and desired levels of RC are evaluated. This differentiates between prison officers' expectations of optimum levels of collaboration with other professional groups, dependent on the role function and codependence, vs actual levels of collaboration. Findings Prison officers reported different RC levels across professional groups, the lowest being with specialist mental health staff and prison doctors and highest with nurses, social workers and other prison officers. Significant differences between desired and actual RC levels suggest expertise of primary care staff is insufficient, as prison officers request much greater contact with mental health specialists when dealing with the mentally ill offender. Originality/value The paper contributes to limited literature on collaborative practice between prison and health care professionals. It questions the advisability of enforcing care pathways that promote the lowest level of effective care in the prison system and suggest ways in which mental health specialists might be better integrated into the prison system. It contributes to the continued debate on how mental health services should be integrated into the prison system, suggesting that the current import model used in Norway and other countries, may not be conducive to generating the close professional relationships required between mental health and prison staff.

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...

Elm Street School:A Case Study of Professional Development Expenditures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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.

Governing mobile technology use for continuing professional development in the Australian nursing profession.

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, Carey Ann; Gale, Fred; Cummings, Elizabeth Anne

2017-01-01

The rapid growth in the use of mobile technology in Australia has outpaced its governance, especially in healthcare settings. Whilst some Australian professional bodies and organisations have developed standards and guidelines to direct appropriate use of social media and mobile technology, clear governance arrangements regarding when, where and how to use mobile technology at point of care in nursing are currently lacking. This paper analyses how the use of mobile technology by nurses at point of care is governed. It highlights the existence of a mobile technology paradox: an identified inability of nurses to access mobile technology in a context where it is increasingly recognised that its use in situ can enhance nursing practice while contributing to mobile learning and continuing professional development. While the recent release of the Registered Nurse Standards for Practice and accompanying Standard for Continuing Professional Development provides some direction regarding professional standards to support the use of mobile technology for mobile learning, we argue a more inclusive approach is required if emerging technologies are to be fully embraced. We describe how an implementation framework, underpinned by more detailed standards, guidelines and codes, could enable the nursing profession to be leaders in embedding mobile technology in healthcare environments nationally and globally. The prevalence of mobile technology in Australia has outpaced its governance in healthcare environments. Its limited availability at point of care is hindering nursing practice, mobile learning and continuing professional development. We discuss the emergence of mobile technology and impediments for its use by nurses in situ. We analyse the professional codes governing nursing, outlining potential reforms to enable implementation of mobile technology at point of care by nurses.

In-Service Infant Teachers Re-Envision Their Practice through a Professional Development Program

Science.gov (United States)

Loizou, Eleni; Recchia, Susan L.

2018-01-01

Research Findings: Most infant teachers have been prepared to be early childhood educators with minimal theoretical or practical exposure to infancy. This study highlights the outcomes of a professional development program (PDP) designed to support a group of infant teachers who lacked specific infancy preparation to re-envision their roles. Data…

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…

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…

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.

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…

The Results of an Era of Teacher Professional Development at McDonald Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Finkelstein, K. D.; Hemenway, M. K.; Preston, S.; Wetzel, M.; Meyer, J.; Rood, M.

2014-07-01

During the past decade, McDonald Observatory has been developing and refining its Teacher Professional Development Workshops, many of which have been supported by NASA. Metrics include attendance, perceived knowledge gain, and readiness to apply what was learned in the classroom. Evaluations show impact through the classroom application at five to six months after the workshops and through consistently high positive workshop results. This paper will show that a) our Teacher Professional Development Workshops are consistently well attended, b) the workshops improve teachers' confidence and their understanding of concepts, c) teachers enjoy unique interactions with astronomers and engineers, d) teachers appreciate hands-on and inquiry-based activities that are modeled and tied to state and national standards, and e) many teachers experience using the activities in their classrooms with good results.

A blended learning framework for curriculum design and professional development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Negin Mirriahi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The need for flexibility in learning and the affordances of technology provided the impetus for the rise of blended learning (BL globally across higher education institutions. However, the adoption of BL practices continues at a low pace due to academics’ low digital fluency, various views and BL definitions, and limited standards-based tools to guide academic practice. To address these issues, this paper introduces a BL framework, based on one definition and with criteria and standards of practice to support the evaluation and advancement of BL in higher education. The framework is theoretically underpinned by the extant literature and supported by focus group discussions. The evidence supporting the criteria and standards are discussed with suggestions for how they can be used to guide course design, academic practice, and professional development.

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

Practice and professional development plans (PPDPs): results of a feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Elwyn, G; Carlisle, S; Hocking, P; Smail, S

2001-01-01

Dissatisfaction with uniprofessional education structures as a means of improving the quality of healthcare has led to proposals to develop ways of integrating professional learning and organisational development. Test the feasibility of introducing practice and professional development plans using a centrally sponsored project in Wales. Qualitative observational study. All 541 practices in Wales were alerted to the project and invited to apply. A selection process was suggested to Health Authorities but not always efficiently conducted: 23 practices were selected and 18 participated in the process. Central funding was made available to health authorities. The project framework was designed by an educational department and conceptualised as the development of personal portfolios linked to one key organisation change in each practice, facilitated by external consultants who would typically hold workshops or other events. An independent researcher using non-participant observation techniques at workshops and practices undertook documentary analysis and fieldwork in four health authorities. Difficulties were encountered with the process of implementing the project: marketing and practice selection inconsistencies delayed the work and it was difficult to recruit practices into the project. The lack of experienced individuals to do the work and practitioner suspicion about perceived 'management' agendas were significant problems. After initial hesitancies most practices appreciated the value of developing wider ownership and commitment to proposed practice changes. Organisations found it difficult to support individual completion of the personal portfolio component of the plans. The ability to develop systems for clinical services was dependent on having already established a culture of effective teamwork in the organisation. This work supports the view that organisational development has considerable potential for bringing about effective change, and individual

The influence of professional development on informal science educators' engagement of preschool-age audiences in science practices

Science.gov (United States)

Crowl, Michele

There is little research on professional development for informal science educators (ISEs). One particular area that ISEs need support in is how to engage preschool-age audiences in science practices. This study is part of a NSF-funded project, My Sky Tonight (MST), which looked at how to support ISEs in facilitating astronomy-themed activities with preschool-age audiences. This dissertation focuses on the influence of a six-week, online professional development workshop designed for ISEs working with preschool-age audiences. I used three primary sources of data: pre/post interviews and a video analysis task from data of 16 participants, as well as observations of implementation from a subset of seven participants who agreed to participate further. I developed and used the Phenomena-driven Practices of Science (PEPS) Framework as an analysis tool for identifying engagement in science practices. Findings from this study show that ISEs identified affective goals and rarely goals that reflect science practice engagement for their preschool-age audiences. They maintained these initial goals after the professional development workshop. ISEs describe the ways in which they engage children in science using primarily science practice-related words, but these descriptions did not show full use of science practices according to the PEPS framework. When observed implementing science activities with their preschool audiences, the ISEs demonstrated a variety of forms of science engagement, but only a few used science practices in ways consistent with the PEPS framework. Engagement in the professional development workshop did not result in a transition in the ways ISEs talk about and implement science with young children. While the write-ups for MST activities were not written in a way that supported engagement in science practices, a subset of MST activities were designed with it in mind. The professional development workshop included little time focusing on how ISEs could

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.

Professional Veterinary Programs' Perceptions and Experiences Pertaining to Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals, and Recommendations for Policy Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenfeld-Tacher, Regina M; Kogan, Lori R

Given the unique nature of programs in professional veterinary medicine (PVM), the increasing numbers of students requesting accommodations for emotional support animals (ESAs) in higher education settings is of growing interest to student affairs and administrative staff in PVM settings. Since the legislation pertaining to this type of support animal differs from the laws governing disability service animals, colleges and universities now need to develop new policies and guidelines. Representatives from a sample of 28 PVM programs completed a survey about the prevalence of student requests for ESAs and service animals. PVM associate deans for academic affairs also reported their perceptions of this issue and the challenges these requests might pose within veterinary teaching laboratories and patient treatment areas. Responses indicated that approximately one third of PVM programs have received requests for ESAs (32.1%) in the last 2 years, 17.9% have had requests for psychiatric service animals, and 17.9% for other types of service animals. Despite this, most associate deans reported not having or not being aware of university or college policies pertaining to these issues. Most associate deans are interested in learning more about this topic. This paper provides general recommendations for establishing university or PVM program policies.

Using Facet Clusters to Guide Teacher Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Seeley, Lane; DeWater, L. S.; Vokos, S.; Kraus, P.

2006-12-01

The Department of Physics and the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University, together with FACET Innovations, LLC, are beginning the second year of a five-year NSF TPC project, Improving the Effectiveness of Teacher Diagnostic Skills and Tools. We are working in partnership with school districts in Washington State to help teachers make their classrooms into better diagnostic learning environments. In this talk, we describe initial efforts to construct content-rich professional development courses for teachers, which are infused with diagnostic assessment that target the fine structure of student ideas in specific topical areas. * Supported in part by NSF grant #ESI-0455796, The Boeing Corporation, and the SPU Science Initiative.

Registered Nurses' perceptions of their work and professional development.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallin, Karin; Danielson, Ella

2008-01-01

This paper is a report of a study to elucidate Registered Nurses' perceptions of their work and professional development 6 years after graduation. Nursing education and health care has rapidly changed in the last two decades. Education and experience are important components in Registered Nurses' ability to promote a high quality of care, but a great deal depends on their work circumstances. This study emphasizes Registered Nurses' view of their work in health care, at a time in their career when they have several years of experience. Data were collected in 2003 from in-depth interviews with 15 Registered Nurses 6 years after their graduation. The interviews were semi-structured and analysed with interpretive content analysis. The findings revealed two themes and five sub-themes. The first theme, An appropriate but demanding profession, consisted of two sub-themes: 'having found one's niche' and 'growing old in nursing may be difficult'. The second theme, A profession with opportunities and obstacles, consisted of three sub-themes: 'being aware of Registered Nurses' potential', 'having knowledge that is seldom made use of' and 'attaining professional growth is no matter of course'. Keeping Registered Nurses' satisfied and avoiding their dissatisfaction is crucial for both educators and employers. It is essential that employers give priority to Registered Nurses' time with patients and to motivate and support them in professional development. Further intervention studies regarding a change of the balance between obstacles and opportunities are needed.

Peer coaching as part of a professional development program for science teachers in Botswana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thijs, Annette; van den Berg, Ellen

2002-01-01

This paper discusses the findings of a study into the potentials of peer coaching as part of a professional development program, consisting of an in-service course and exemplary curriculum materials, in supporting the implementation of learner-centred teaching in senior secondary science and

Effects of Web-Mediated Teacher Professional Development on the Language and Literacy Skills of Children Enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Downer, Jason; Pianta, Robert; Fan, Xitao; Hamre, Bridget; Mashburn, Andrew; Justice, Laura

2012-01-01

As early education grows in the United States, in-service professional development in key instructional and interaction skills is a core component of capacity-building in early childhood education. In this paper, we describe results from an evaluation of the effects of MyTeachingPartner, a web-based system of professional development, on language and literacy development during pre-kindergarten for 1338 children in 161 teachers’ classrooms. High levels of support for teachers’ implementation of language/literacy activities showed modest but significant effects for improving early language and literacy for children in classrooms in which English was the dominant language spoken by the students and teachers. The combination of web-based supports, including video-based consultation and web-based video teaching exemplars, was more effective at improving children’s literacy and language skills than was only making available to teachers a set of instructional materials and detailed lesson guides. These results suggest the importance of targeted, practice-focused supports for teachers in designing professional development systems for effective teaching in early childhood programs. PMID:23144591

Talent Development Environment and Workplace Adaptation: The Mediating Effects of Organisational Support

Science.gov (United States)

Kunasegaran, Mageswari; Ismail, Maimunah; Rasdi, Roziah Mohd; Ismail, Ismi Arif; Ramayah, T.

2016-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine the relationship between talent development environment (TDE) variables of job focus and long-term development with the workplace adaptation (WA) of Malaysian professional returnees as mediated by the organisational support. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 130 respondents who are Malaysian professional…

Facilities as teaching tools: A transformative participatory professional development experience

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Eric A.

Resource consumption continues to increase as the population grows. In order to secure a sustainable future, society must educate the next generation to become "sustainability natives." Schools play a pivotal role in educating a sustainability-literate society. However, a disconnect exists between the hidden curriculum of the built environment and the enacted curriculum. This study employs a transformative participatory professional development model to instruct teachers on how to use their school grounds as teaching tools for the purpose of helping students make explicit choices in energy consumption, materials use, and sustainable living. Incorporating a phenomenological perspective, this study considers the lived experience of two sustainability coordinators. Grounded theory provides an interpretational context for the participants' interactions with each other and the professional development process. Through a year long professional development experience - commencing with an intense, participatory two-day workshop -the participants discussed challenges they faced with integrating facilities into school curriculum and institutionalizing a culture of sustainability. Two major needs were identified in this study. For successful sustainability initiatives, a hybrid model that melds top-down and bottom-up approaches offers the requisite mix of administrative support, ground level buy-in, and excitement vis-a-vis sustainability. Second, related to this hybrid approach, K-12 sustainability coordinators ideally need administrative capabilities with access to decision making, while remaining connected to students in a meaningful way, either directly in the classroom, as a mentor, or through work with student groups and projects.

[Professional Development Processes of Trainee and Experienced Psychotherapists in Turkey].

Science.gov (United States)

Bilican, F Işıl; Soygüt, Gonca

2015-01-01

This study explored professional characteristics of psychotherapists in Turkey, examined the changes in their professional developmental processes, and compared the professional characteristics of the trainees and experienced therapists. The participants were 88 psychotherapists, including trainee (N=37) and experienced (N=51) psychotherapists in Turkey. They completed the Development of Psychotherapists International Study-Common Core Questionnaire (DPCCQ), developed by the Collaborative Research Network. The participants identified with the cognitive theoretical orientation most often. 30% of the participants had more than two salient orientations. The most prevalent therapy modality was individual, followed by couples, family, and group psychotherapy. Ongoing supervision rate was 44%. Trainees scored lower on effectiveness in engaging patients in a working alliance, feeling natural while working with patients, effectiveness in communicating their understanding and concern to their patients, and feeling confident in their role as a therapist. Experienced therapists made changes in the therapeutic contract and invited collaboration from families more compared to the trainees. 63% of the variance in Healing Involvement was explained by Overall Career Development, Currently Experienced Growth, being influenced by the humanistic approach, and the impact of the main therapeutic environment; 26% of the variance in Stressful Involvement was explained by the length of official supervision received and having control over the length of therapy sessions. Therapists were more cognitively oriented, less eclectic, and had less supervision compared to their international counterparts. Experienced therapists were more flexible, natural, and confident than the trainees. Supervision, a supportive work environment, the humanistic approach, and investing in career development were essential to providing a healing experience.

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.

The Professional Development Needs of Special Needs Assistants in Irish Post-Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Kerins, Pauline; Casserly, Ann Marie; Deacy, Evelyn; Harvey, Deirdre; McDonagh, Dolores; Tiernan, Bairbre

2018-01-01

According to government policy in Ireland, special needs assistants (SNAs) may be employed in post-primary schools to support students deemed to have chronic and serious care needs. There is currently no national policy regarding the continuing professional development (CPD) of SNAs, to meet the requirements of their role. This study investigated…

Systems of Career Influences: A Conceptual Model for Evaluating the Professional Development of Women in Academic Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Helitzer, Deborah; Morahan, Page; Chang, Shine; Gleason, Katharine; Cardinali, Gina; Wu, Chih-Chieh

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Surprisingly little research is available to explain the well-documented organizational and societal influences on persistent inequities in advancement of women faculty. Methods The Systems of Career Influences Model is a framework for exploring factors influencing women's progression to advanced academic rank, executive positions, and informal leadership roles in academic medicine. The model situates faculty as agents within a complex adaptive system consisting of a trajectory of career advancement with opportunities for formal professional development programming; a dynamic system of influences of organizational policies, practices, and culture; and a dynamic system of individual choices and decisions. These systems of influence may promote or inhibit career advancement. Within this system, women weigh competing influences to make career advancement decisions, and leaders of academic health centers prioritize limited resources to support the school's mission. Results and Conclusions The Systems of Career Influences Model proved useful to identify key research questions. We used the model to probe how research in academic career development might be applied to content and methods of formal professional development programs. We generated a series of questions and hypotheses about how professional development programs might influence professional development of health science faculty members. Using the model as a guide, we developed a study using a quantitative and qualitative design. These analyses should provide insight into what works in recruiting and supporting productive men and women faculty in academic medical centers. PMID:23101486

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,…

Improving undergraduate STEM education: The efficacy of discipline-based professional development

Science.gov (United States)

Manduca, Cathryn A.; Iverson, Ellen R.; Luxenberg, Michael; Macdonald, R. Heather; McConnell, David A.; Mogk, David W.; Tewksbury, Barbara J.

2017-01-01

We sought to determine whether instructional practices used by undergraduate faculty in the geosciences have shifted from traditional teacher-centered lecture toward student-engaged teaching practices and to evaluate whether the national professional development program On the Cutting Edge (hereinafter Cutting Edge) has been a contributing factor in this change. We surveyed geoscience faculty across the United States in 2004, 2009, and 2012 and asked about teaching practices as well as levels of engagement in education research, scientific research, and professional development related to teaching. We tested these self-reported survey results with direct observations of teaching using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol, and we conducted interviews to understand what aspects of Cutting Edge have supported change. Survey data show that teaching strategies involving active learning have become more common, that these practices are concentrated in faculty who invest in learning about teaching, and that faculty investment in learning about teaching has increased. Regression analysis shows that, after controlling for other key influences, faculty who have participated in Cutting Edge programs and who regularly use resources on the Cutting Edge website are statistically more likely to use active learning teaching strategies. Cutting Edge participants also report that learning about teaching, the availability of teaching resources, and interactions with peers have supported changes in their teaching practice. Our data suggest that even one-time participation in a workshop with peers can lead to improved teaching by supporting a combination of affective and cognitive learning outcomes. PMID:28246629

Improving undergraduate STEM education: The efficacy of discipline-based professional development.

Science.gov (United States)

Manduca, Cathryn A; Iverson, Ellen R; Luxenberg, Michael; Macdonald, R Heather; McConnell, David A; Mogk, David W; Tewksbury, Barbara J

2017-02-01

We sought to determine whether instructional practices used by undergraduate faculty in the geosciences have shifted from traditional teacher-centered lecture toward student-engaged teaching practices and to evaluate whether the national professional development program On the Cutting Edge (hereinafter Cutting Edge) has been a contributing factor in this change. We surveyed geoscience faculty across the United States in 2004, 2009, and 2012 and asked about teaching practices as well as levels of engagement in education research, scientific research, and professional development related to teaching. We tested these self-reported survey results with direct observations of teaching using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol, and we conducted interviews to understand what aspects of Cutting Edge have supported change. Survey data show that teaching strategies involving active learning have become more common, that these practices are concentrated in faculty who invest in learning about teaching, and that faculty investment in learning about teaching has increased. Regression analysis shows that, after controlling for other key influences, faculty who have participated in Cutting Edge programs and who regularly use resources on the Cutting Edge website are statistically more likely to use active learning teaching strategies. Cutting Edge participants also report that learning about teaching, the availability of teaching resources, and interactions with peers have supported changes in their teaching practice. Our data suggest that even one-time participation in a workshop with peers can lead to improved teaching by supporting a combination of affective and cognitive learning outcomes.

TA Professional Development: A Graduate Student's Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Alicea-Munoz, Emily

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are essential for teaching large introductory physics classes. In such courses, undergraduates spend approximately half of their in-class contact time in instructional environments (e.g., labs and recitations) supervised by GTAs, which means GTAs can have a large impact on student learning. Therefore it is crucial to adequately prepare GTAs before they first enter the classroom, and to offer them continued support throughout. Since many of the skills required to become effective teachers will also be relevant to their future research careers, it is useful for a GTA preparation program to also include professional development strategies. But what exactly do GTAs get out of these programs? The School of Physics at Georgia Tech runs a preparation and mentoring program for GTAs that focuses on pedagogical knowledge, physics content, and professional development, as well as their intersections. Nearly seventy graduate students have gone through this program in the three years since it was established. Here we discuss the impact this program has had on our GTAs, from their own point of view: the program's effect on their teaching abilities, how it has influenced their attitudes towards teaching, what elements they have found useful, and what changes they have suggested to its curriculum. We find that, in general, GTAs are more receptive when the curriculum is more hands-on and they are presented with frequent opportunities for practice and feedback.

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.

Student Affairs Professionals Supporting Students with Disabilities: A Grounded Theory Model

Science.gov (United States)

Kimball, Ezekiel; Vaccaro, Annemarie; Vargas, Nadia

2016-01-01

In an action-based grounded theory project, the authors collected data from 31 student affairs professionals. During seven focus groups, practitioners described feeling unknowledgeable about disability law, accommodations, and diagnoses. However, they drew upon their core values and transferrable skills to support individual students. Participants…

Implementing clinical decision support for primary care professionals – the process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kortteisto, Tiina; Komulainen, Jorma; Kunnamo, Ilkka

2012-01-01

implementation of eCDS requires time and repeated supportive input. Primary care professionals need time and training for adapting eCDS in their daily routine. In addition, the eCDS content should be tailored to fulfil different professionals’ information needs in primary care practice....

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.

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…

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

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...

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…

Investing in Professional Development: Building and Sustaining a Viable 4-H Youth Workforce for the Future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirk A. Astroth

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Positive youth development outcomes are influenced by a competent, highly trained work force that enjoys their work with young people. The youth work field has struggled with how to keep and motivate front line youth workers given the heavy workloads, low pay, lack of recognition and irregular time demands to compete with family responsibilities. Professional development is a key strategy for retaining and motivating youth workers. A model of professional development called the Western 4-H Institute has been developed and held now for two sessions. Results from participants indicate that this strategy can have a positive influence on job satisfaction, competencies, and retention. In fact, only 10 percent of participants had left during the intervening 5 years, and job satisfaction had increased significantly over time. Organizational loyalty among participants is not high, but with early career professionals, they may still be trying to find their niche. A regional training model has shown itself to be effective in supporting 4-H youth professionals and is building a sustainable workforce for the future.

Relational Restorative Justice Pedagogy in Educator Professional Development

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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…

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…

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…

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

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 ...

Professional Vision of Classroom Management and Learning Support in Science Classrooms--Does Professional Vision Differ across General and Content-Specific Classroom Interactions?

Science.gov (United States)

Steffensky, Mirjam; Gold, Bernadette; Holdynski, Manfred; Möller, Kornelia

2015-01-01

The present study investigates the internal structure of professional vision of in-service teachers and student teachers with respect to classroom management and learning support in primary science lessons. Classroom management (including monitoring, managing momentum, and rules and routines) and learning support (including cognitive activation…

Evaluating the effectiveness of a laboratory-based professional development program for science educators

Science.gov (United States)

Amolins, Michael W.; Ezrailson, Cathy M.; Pearce, David A.; Elliott, Amy J.

2015-01-01

The process of developing effective science educators has been a long-standing objective of the broader education community. Numerous studies have recommended not only depth in a teacher's subject area but also a breadth of professional development grounded in constructivist principles, allowing for successful student-centered and inquiry-based instruction. Few programs, however, have addressed the integration of the scientific research laboratory into the science classroom as a viable approach to professional development. Additionally, while occasional laboratory training programs have emerged in recent years, many lack a component for translating acquired skills into reformed classroom instruction. Given the rapid development and demand for knowledgeable employees and an informed population from the biotech and medical industries in recent years, it would appear to be particularly advantageous for the physiology and broader science education communities to consider this issue. The goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a laboratory-based professional development program focused on the integration of reformed teaching principles into the classrooms of secondary teachers. This was measured through the program's ability to instill in its participants elevated academic success while gaining fulfillment in the classroom. The findings demonstrated a significant improvement in the use of student-centered instruction and other reformed methods by program participants as well as improved self-efficacy, confidence, and job satisfaction. Also revealed was a reluctance to refashion established classroom protocols. The combination of these outcomes allowed for construction of an experiential framework for professional development in applied science education that supports an atmosphere of reformed teaching in the classroom. PMID:26628658

Genetic education and the challenge of genomic medicine: development of core competences to support preparation of health professionals in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skirton, Heather; Lewis, Celine; Kent, Alastair

2010-01-01

in professional education and regulation between European countries, setting curricula may not be practical. Core competences are used as a basis for health professional education in many fields and settings. An Expert Group working under the auspices of the EuroGentest project and European Society of Human...... Genetics Education Committee agreed that a pragmatic solution to the need to establish common standards for education and practice in genetic health care was to agree to a set of core competences that could apply across Europe. These were agreed through an exhaustive process of consultation with relevant......The use of genetics and genomics within a wide range of health-care settings requires health professionals to develop expertise to practise appropriately. There is a need for a common minimum standard of competence in genetics for health professionals in Europe but because of differences...

Exploring the Influence of Student Focus Groups in Their Professional and Personal Development

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, S.; Hut, R.

2014-12-01

A scientific career is often more than a 9-to-5 commitment, both in terms of time and passion. An important factor that fuels this passion is engaging with the community on many levels. In the history of education and professional development, there are numerous studies that emphasis the importance of surrounding groups and like-minded peers in one's professional and personal development in a less constrained environment. In our experience, in modern days where students are surrounded with too much information and yet too little clear signal, the idea of mentor and advisor can no longer limit to one or two people. We strongly feel it is imperative to have the opportunity to share expertise on scientific issues, career options, develop presenting and writing skills, participate in professional volunteer activities with alike and advanced colleagues, share future opportunities, and successfully navigating life both inside and outside of graduate school in a relaxed environment. Most of the professional scientific and engineering communities put a lot of effort to create and maintain professional groups in masters and Ph.D. levels but the dynamics within these groups prove it to be very different and it is challenging to maintain both momentum and productivity. Authors of this report would present their experience in creating, running and maintaining various student groups in the discipline of physics, astronomy, planetary science, hydrology, and optical engineering in US, Europe and Middle East. The common factors and differences based on the supportive community, location, and the educational level would be discussed. An outline of potential helpful factors within the academic institutes and professional communities would be presented based on the examination on various successful and unsuccessful experiences.

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.

Professional services contract manager development and certification strategy : spr 696 : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-27

SCDOT hires many consultants to provide professional services in support of its planning, design, construction and : maintenance projects. SCDOT personnel responsible for procuring and administering these professional service : contracts, especially ...

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.

Sustaining K-12 professional development in geology: Recurrent participation in Rockcamp

Science.gov (United States)

Repine, T.E.; Hemler, D.A.; Behling, R.E.

2004-01-01

A reconnaissance study of the geology professional development program known as RockCamp was initiated to examine the sustained, or recurrent, participation of K-12 science teachers. Open-ended interviews, concept mapping, and creative writing assignments were used to explore the perceptions of six teachers possessing an exceptional record of participation. Efficacy, fun, right time of life, and support emerged as unanimous reasons for recurrent participation. Content, friendship, and methodology were very important. College credit was not critical. These teachers' perceptions suggest their sustained involvement in the RockCamp Program is stimulated by situated learning experiences stressing a compare, contrast, connect, and construct pedagogy within a supportive learning community.

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…

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 ...

21st Century Learning Skills Embedded in Climate Literacy Teacher Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, R. J.; Schwerin, T. G.; Blaney, L.

2011-12-01

Trilling and Fadel's "21st Century Learning Skills" defines a vision of how to infuse an expanded set of skills, competencies and flexibilities into the classroom. Among these skills are global awareness, health and environmental literacy. The authors contend that in order for our students to compete, they will need critical thinking and problem solving skills, communication and collaboration, and creativity and innovation. Students will also need to be digital savvy. This poster outlines a program of preparing teachers to implement inquiry-based modules that allow students to exercise hypothetical deductive reasoning to address climate literacy issues such as: the Dust Bowl, thermohaline circulation, droughts, the North Atlantic Oscillation, climate variability and energy challenges. This program is implemented through the Earth System Science Education Alliance. ESSEA supports the educational goal of "attracting and retaining students in science careers" and the associated goal of "attracting and retaining students in science through a progression of educational opportunities for students, teachers and faculty." ESSEA provides long-duration educator professional development that results in deeper content understanding and confidence in teaching global climate change and science disciplines. The target audience for this effort is pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers. The ESSEA program develops shared educational resources - including modules and courses - that are based on NASA and NOAA climate science and data. The program is disseminated through the ESSEA Web site: http://essea.courses.strategies.org. ESSEA increases teachers' access to high-quality materials, standards-based instructional methods and content knowledge. Started in 2000 and based on online courses for K-12 teachers, ESSEA includes the participation of faculty at 45 universities and science centers. Over 3,500 pre- and in-service K-12 teachers have completed ESSEA courses. In addition to 21st

DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL AND SOFT SKILLS OF FUTURE IT SPECIALISTS IN COOPERATION WITH LEADING IT COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olena G. Glazunova

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The problem of technological universities lagging behind the level of development of the IT-industry can be solved only on condition that technological IT companies actively participate in training of future IT-professionals. Only cooperation between IT-companies and IT-faculties can provide effective training of future IT-professionals. Universities require access to new technologies in order to support students and teachers of STEM-faculties, so that they would keep up with the level of technology development. The article analyzes the trends of cooperation between universities and IT companies. For example, the integration of Microsoft resources and services into the University e-learning environment identified the impact of using appropriate resources for the development of professional skills and “soft skills”. The present article suggests a model of integrating Microsoft resources and services into the e-learning environment.

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…

Factors affecting the impact of professional development programs on teachers' knowledge, practice, student outcomes & efficacy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawrence Ingvarson

2005-01-01

Full Text Available This report examines effects of structural and process features of professional development programs on teachers' knowledge, practice and efficacy. It is based on four recent (2002-2003 studies undertaken through the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme, designed to enhance teacher quality. The total data set for the survey study includes 3,250 teachers who had participated in eighty individual professional development1 activities within these studies. Teachers were surveyed at least three months after participating in an activity, which provided them with the opportunity to gauge the impact of programs on their practice. To investigate factors affecting impact, a theoretical model was developed based on recent research into the characteristics of effective professional development and tested using blockwise regression analysis. The model included contextual factors (e.g., school support, structural features of programs (e.g. ,length, process features (e.g., emphasis on content; active learning; examination of student work; feedback; follow-up, a mediating variable (level of professional community generated, and four outcome measures (knowledge; practice; student learning and efficacy. Consistent significant direct effects were found across the four studies for the impact of content focus, active learning, and follow-up on knowledge and professional community. Feedback was rarely incorporated into program design. Impact on efficacy was strongly related to the perceived impact of activities on teachers' practice and student learning outcomes.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Randi

This study was designed to explore elementary STEM professional development viewed from the presenters' and participants' perspectives. Numerous committees and educational organizations recommend investing in STEM professional development at the local, state, and national level. This investment must begin with research that inquires how STEM professional development is structured and what is needed for teacher and student success. Since there is a recent STEM education push in schools, elementary teachers need effective professional development in order to gain the necessary content, skills, confidence, and pedagogy required for those changing demands. This qualitative study embraced. Yin's case study methodology by observing short-duration STEM professional development for elementary teachers within a large metropolitan school system and an educational professional development agency. The study discussed the analysis and findings in the context of Bandura's sources of efficacy and Desimone's critical features of professional development. Data were gathered form professional development observations, presenter interviews, and participant interviews. The research questions for this study included: (a) based on Desimone's (2009) framework for professional development, what does content focused, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation look like in initial STEM professional development for elementary teachers? (b) are Bandura's (1997) four sources of self- efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and affective states evidenced within the short duration professional development? and (c) how do these two frameworks align between presenter and participant thoughts and actions? This study uncovered additional sources of efficacy are present in short-duration STEM professional development. These found sources include coherence, content, and active learning delivered in a definitive order. The findings of this study

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…

Examining a math-science professional development program for teachers in grades 7-12 in an urban school district in New York State

Science.gov (United States)

Kaszczak, Lesia

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in New York State and the Next Generation Science Standards, it is more important than ever for school districts to develop professional development programs to provide teachers with the resources that will assist them in incorporating the new standards into their classroom instruction. This study focused on a mathematics and science professional development program known as STEMtastic STEM. The two purposes of the study were: to determine if there is an increase in STEM content knowledge of the participants involved in year two of a three year professional development program and to examine the teachers' perceptions of the impact of the professional development program on classroom instruction. The sample included teachers of grades 7-12 from an urban school district in New York State. The scores of a content knowledge pre-test and post-test were analyzed using a paired sample t-test to determine any significant differences in scores. In order to determine mathematics and science teachers' perceptions of the impact of the professional development program, responses from a 22 item Likert-style survey were analyzed to establish patterns of responses and to determine positive and negative perceptions of participants of the professional development program. A single sample t-test was used to determine if the responses were significantly positive. The results of this study indicated that there was no significant increase in content knowledge as a result of participation in the STEMtastic STEM professional development program. Both mathematics and science teachers exhibited significant positive perceptions of items dealing with hands-on participation during the professional development; support provided by STEMtastic STEM specialists; and the support provided by the administration. It was concluded that both mathematics and science teachers responded positively to the training they received during the professional

Pathways to URM Retention: IBP's Professional Development and Mentoring Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, A.; Williamson Whitney, V.; Ricciardi, L.; Detrick, L.; Siegfried, D.; Fauver, A.; Ithier-Guzman, W.; Thomas, S. H.; Valaitis, S.

2013-05-01

As a not for profit organization, the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) hosts a variety of initiatives designed to increase the retention of underrepresented minority (URM) students pursuing pathways in STEM. IBP also assists with formative program evaluation design and implementation to help strengthen URM recruitment and retention elements. Successful initiatives include virtual and face-to-face components that bring together URM students with established URM and other scientists in academia, government and industry. These connections provide URMs with mentoring, networking opportunities, and professional skill development contributing to an improved retention rate of URM students. IBP's initiatives include the NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative (NASA OSSI), Pathways to Ocean Science and Engineering, and the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S) in Earth System Science (ESS) Professional Development Program. The NASA OSSI recruits and facilitates student engagement in NASA education and employment opportunities. Pathways to Ocean Science connects and supports URM students with Ocean Science REU programs and serves as a resource for REU program directors. Pathways to Engineering has synthesized mentoring resources into an online mentoring manual for URM students that has been extensively vetted by mentoring experts throughout the country. The mentoring manual, which is organized by roles, provides undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, faculty and project directors with valuable resources. MS PHD'S, one of IBP's longest running and most successful initiatives, focuses on increasing the retention rate of URM students receiving advanced degrees in ESS. The program addresses barriers to retention in ESS including isolation, lack of preparation and professional development, and lack of mentoring. Program activities center on peer-to-peer community building, professional development exercises, networking experiences, one

Understanding continuous professional development participation and choice of mid-career general dental practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, T; Wassif, H S

2017-02-01

Participating in continuing professional development (CPD) activities is a requirement for dental practitioners to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Understanding the ways dental practitioners engage with professional development and the impact on practice is not fully known (Eaton et al. 2011, http://www.gdc-uk.org/Aboutus/policy/Documents/Impact%20Of%20CPD%20In%20Dentistry.pdf). The aim of this study was to gain insights into the ways that dentists reflect on their professional development and what may be influencing their choices. Empirical qualitative data were collected by semi-structured interviewing of five mid-career dentists. Using grounded theory, the data were analysed for themes about CPD choice and participation. Three themes were identified as influences to dentists' choices of CPD with pragmatic considerations of how new learning could benefit their patients and their practices. Dental practitioners were influenced by the requirements of external regulatory bodies which they did not consider to necessarily improve practice. Dentists working in primary care in the UK are undertaking CPD which is influenced by the pragmatic requirements of running a small business and to meet regulatory requirements. In this sample, dentists are not critically reflecting on their education needs when choosing their CPD activity. Protected learning time and organisational feedback and support are recommended as a way to promote more meaningful reflection on learning and to improve professional development. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Game-Based Learning in Professional Development for Practicing Educators: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Meredith, Tamara R.

2016-01-01

Many game-based learning (GBL) researchers working in K-12 educational settings have supported the incorporation of gaming technologies into classroom practice, but little has been communicated about the effect of incorporating GBL into practicing K-12 educators' professional development. This review is a critical appraisal of the quantity and…

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…

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...

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.

Inter-professional education of prospective speech-language therapists and primary school teachers through shared professional practice placements.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Leanne; McNeill, Brigid; Gillon, Gail T

2017-07-01

Preliminary studies of inter-professional education (IPE) among student speech-language therapists (SLTs) and student teachers suggest that workshop-based applications are beneficial in preparing participants for elements of collaborative practice. Situating IPE within the students' professional practice placements may provide another useful avenue to develop attitudes, knowledge and skills for inter-professional collaboration. Research examining the impact of different approaches to IPE is required to advance our understanding of effective design and evaluation of such initiatives. To understand how student SLTs and student teachers develop competency for collaborative practice when co-working during professional practice placements to support children's speech and literacy development. A case study design was used to monitor the impact of the IPE. Student SLTs (n = 4) were paired with student teachers (n = 4) to participate in shared professional practice placements in junior school classrooms. An inductive thematic analysis of interviews conducted with participants after the IPE was employed to explore the development of competencies in collaborative practice. Change in inter-disciplinary knowledge and perceptions over the IPE was evaluated via survey to further explore the development of collaborative competencies. Integration of qualitative and quantitative findings suggested that participants began to develop four broad areas of collaborative competency: understanding of professional roles and expertise, communication skills to support shared decision-making, inter-dependency in supporting children's learning, and flexibility to implement alternative instructional practices. Interview analysis also revealed factors related to the facilitators and learning contexts that supported and/or limited the collaboration between participants. Shared placement experiences between student SLTs and student teachers may be an effective method for building participants

Using Coaching as a Professional Development Modality to Train Teachers in the Use of Evidence-Based Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Hollins, Samantha Marsh

2013-01-01

Professional development for teachers currently working in the classroom is an important focus of educational programs and school systems. Continuous professional development is especially important for special education teachers to maintain current information related to strategies and supports that are effective in educating students with…

The DataTools Professional Development Program: Sustainability via a University Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Haddad, N.; Ledley, T. S.; McAuliffe, C. A.; Reider, D.

2009-12-01

The DataTools professional development program (http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/msdatatools), offered by TERC, helps teachers integrate technology, scientific data, and inquiry into their middle and high school curricula. It leverages the resources and techniques of the Earth Exploration Toolbook (http://serc.carleton.edu/eet), an online collection of investigations that promotes the use of technology and scientific data in the context of studying the earth system. Over the course of the year-long program, teachers develop skills and a pedagogy of inquiry through a combination of on-line and face-to-face professional development and a significant amount of peer support. They learn to use information technologies that support the visualization and analysis of numerical, geospatial, and image data. DataTools was funded by NSF’s ITEST program to operate for three years. During year two we started to investigate the possibility of transforming the program into a graduate-level course at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (UMD). The first step in that process was partnering with UMD to offer the third year of the NSF-funded program as a 3-credit graduate course on a 1-year trial basis. Our UMD partner participated in advertising the program to teachers in its network, provided classroom space at UMD for the face-to-face meetings and summer workshop, and offered three graduate credits to teachers who successfully completed the program. TERC staff continued to provide the professional development. The formation of the School for Education, Public Policy, and Civic Engagement at UMD, and the new STEM Department within that school appear to be favoring the transformation of this NSF-funded program into a sustainable graduate level course for in-service teachers. A key element to developing a sustainable course at a large university is to position it in a way that can service the largest number of students. In addition to the tremendous need of science professional

eHealth Technology Competencies for Health Professionals Working in Home Care to Support Older Adults to Age in Place: Outcomes of a Two-Day Collaborative Workshop.

Science.gov (United States)

Barakat, Ansam; Woolrych, Ryan D; Sixsmith, Andrew; Kearns, William D; Kort, Helianthe S M

2013-01-01

The demand for care is increasing, whereas in the near future the number of people working in professional care will not match with the demand for care. eHealth technology can help to meet the growing demand for care. Despite the apparent positive effects of eHealth technology, there are still barriers to technology adoption related to the absence of a composite set of knowledge and skills among health care professionals regarding the use of eHealth technology. The objective of this paper is to discuss the competencies required by health care professionals working in home care, with eHealth technologies such as remote telecare and ambient assisted living (AAL), mobile health, and fall detection systems. A two-day collaborative workshop was undertaken with academics across multiple disciplines with experience in working on funded research regarding the application and development of technologies to support older people. The findings revealed that health care professionals working in home care require a subset of composite skills as well as technology-specific competencies to develop the necessary aptitude in eHealth care. This paper argues that eHealth care technology skills must be instilled in health care professionals to ensure that technologies become integral components of future care delivery, especially to support older adults to age in place. Educating health care professionals with the necessary skill training in eHealth care will improve service delivery and optimise the eHealth care potential to reduce costs by improving efficiency. Moreover, embedding eHealth care competencies within training and education for health care professionals ensures that the benefits of new technologies are realized by casting them in the context of the larger system of care. These care improvements will potentially support the independent living of older persons at home. This paper describes the health care professionals' competencies and requirements needed for the use of e

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

Development of guidelines to assist organisations to support employees returning to work after an episode of anxiety, depression or a related disorder: a Delphi consensus study with Australian professionals and consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reavley Nicola J

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mental disorders are a significant cause of disability and loss of workplace productivity. The scientific evidence for how organisations should best support those returning to work after common mental disorders is relatively limited. Therefore a Delphi expert consensus study was carried out with professional and consumer experts. Methods A systematic review of websites, books and journal articles was conducted to develop a 387 item survey containing strategies that organisations might use to support those returning to work after common mental disorders. Three panels of Australian experts (66 health professionals, 30 employers and 80 consumers were recruited and independently rated the items over three rounds, with strategies reaching consensus on importance written into the guidelines. Results The participation rate across all three rounds was 60.2% (57.6% health professionals, 76.7% employers, 56.3% consumers. 308 strategies were endorsed as essential or important by at least 80% of all three panels. The endorsed strategies provided information on policy and procedures, the roles of supervisors, employees and colleagues in managing absence and return to work, and provision of mental health information and training. Conclusions The guidelines outline strategies for organisations supporting those returning to work after common mental disorders. It is hoped that they may be used to inform policy and practice in a variety of workplaces.

Data base development and research and editorial support

Science.gov (United States)

1988-01-01

The Life Sciences Bibliographic Data Base was created in 1981 and subsequently expanded. A systematic, professional system was developed to collect, organize, and disseminate information about scientific publications resulting from research. The data base consists of bibliographic information and hard copies of all research papers published by Life Sciences-supported investigators. Technical improvements were instituted in the database. To minimize costs, take advantage of advances in personal computer technology, and achieve maximum flexibility and control, the data base was transferred from the JSC computer to personal computers at George Washington University (GWU). GWU also performed a range of related activities such as conducting in-depth searches on a variety of subjects, retrieving scientific literature, preparing presentations, summarizing research progress, answering correspondence requiring reference support, and providing writing and editorial support.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carrie Stark