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This article discusses a strategy for improving school science education in England through the continuing professional development of science teachers in the national network of Science Learning Centres. It presents evidence about effective continuing professional development, and considers the range of focuses and methods relevant for the continuing professional development of science teachers. Readers are encouraged to submit their contributions to the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature supports transformative models of professional learning and development (PLD) such as professional learning communities (PLCs). However, there is a research gap relating to PLCs for inclusive practice. This paper draws on findings from a qualitative study with 10 teachers in an urban primary school in the Republic of Ireland, who engaged in a PLC for inclusive practice facilitated by one of the researchers. Two years later the researchers undertook semi-structured interviews with nine of the original participants and five classroom observations to explore if and how teachers can sustain inclusive practices in changing times. The findings evidenced sustained changes in teachers' individual and collaborative practices, affirming an argument that PLCs can support teachers to develop and sustain inclusive practices in the longer term. This paper offers a conceptual framework for prospectively planning PLCs to narrow the values practice gap for inclusive practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Psiquiátrica y Psicológica de América Latina is the property of Acta Psiquiatrica y Psicologica de America Latina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper we examine contemporary academic working lives, with particular reference to teaching- only and teaching-focused academics. We argue that intensification in the neoliberal university has significantly shifted the structure of academic careers, while cultural stories about those careers have not changed. We call for academics to re-examine our collective stories about standard academic career paths. Challenging the stories and making visible the ways that they create and multiply disadvantage is a crucial step in expanding the possibilities for academic identities and careers. The paper begins by describing teaching-focused academics within the context of the wider workforce. We then draw on narratives of those in these roles to illustrate the processes that (re)inscribe their marginalisation. We uncover the gendering of the teaching-focused academic labour market. We end the paper by suggesting interventions that all academics can take and support to address the issues we highlight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper used three participatory methods- children's drawings, photographs, and group interviews- along with a short questionnaire to explore Grade 6 pupils' experiences and perceptions of the private tutoring (PT) they had received in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The questionnaire data suggest that 316 out of 406 (79.87%) attended PT. The qualitative data from 30 pupils reveal that the participants' motives of having PT ranged from adult-imposed reasons (e.g. complying with parents' wishes by studying for an elite school place) to reasons associated with achieving their ideal selves by boosting their interest in learning and imagining themselves working/studying abroad or pursuing an international career. The participants acted as proactive agents by explaining not only the PT benefits but also its disadvantages, including the unethical practices of some schoolteachers, increasing tiredness and it being a potentially unfair advantage in a competitive context. This study suggested pedagogical implications and areas for ongoing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how reflective practice can act as a catalyst for change and ‘add value’ to the learning process of the partners involved in professional development programmes. The concept of added value is widely used in business and education but to what extent can the concept be articulated and realized? This paper provides some insight into how the process of reflection was introduced and sustained within professional development programmes. We evaluate and reflect upon four key interventions designed as a catalyst for change with the aim of enhancing the transfer and articulation of learning across the educational and the work community. We question if reflecting upon learning can add value and whether the partners involved in the learning process can support the transition from reflection, to action in order to maximize the change process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with Kevin Harris, Lecturer in Education at Sydney Teachers' College is presented. It mentions about his teaching career had been judged as highly successful, and his University studies in Education were regarded as worthy of First Class Honours. It also mentions about the role of schooling in society, and how we were failing or at least disillusioning the majority of children.

Despite continuing interest in teacher reflection and an extensive body of research on peer assessment, the interaction between these areas has not been sufficiently investigated. This study on reflection and peer feedback is part of an ongoing action research addressing the design and pedagogical model of a theoretically oriented teacher training course. The course comprised face-to-face lessons followed by written reflections of the student-teachers concerning their learning experiences. These reflections were presented for peer feedback - thereby initiating a community of reflecting peers ('co-reflection') - and were additionally subjected to instructor feedback under two conditions (full vs. diluted). Student-teachers' perception of their professional development that resulted from these co-reflecting communities were quantitatively evaluated (using a self-reported questionnaire) over a three-year period. An enhanced positive effect over the three-year period was found - regardless of the instructor feedback condition - as well as significant differences between parallel groups (higher for science vs. mathematics student-teachers). These are described in the first part of the paper, followed by an in-depth case study analysis in the second section. The case studies reported inclusive analysis of the students' written reflections and feedback. It provides an insight into the processes of co-reflection, identifies changes over time in the quality of reflections and feedback, as well as in the personal, professional and social development of the student-teachers, attempting to identify the mechanisms leading to these changes. Examples are cited to illustrate the ways in which the students developed and what activated their motivation for development. The case studies reveal two developmental models, one of external orientation and the other internal. These are characterized by a willing receiver and willing donor, respectively. The importance of a 'maturity interval', when the student is 'ripe' for developmental change, was also demonstrated. Offering an appropriate trigger at this mature point may stimulate crucial development. Teacher development is further interpreted in terms of interpersonal variables. The current paper may encourage teacher educators and student-teachers themselves to incorporate co-reflecting in their course planning and community planning. Ways may be designed to train student-teachers to offer and use feedback effectively. For feedback to be valuable, it should be reinforcing, challenging, thorough and sincere, radiate faith, and be of a friendly nature - it should be non-insulting and non-judgemental. They may be used for in-text as well as summary remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported on in this paper is set in the context of a national programme of professional development for primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland which has been in operation since 1999 and finished in 2008. The paper explores the acquisition and interpretation by teachers of the elements of the reform. The authors consider the extent to which the professional development experiences facilitated change in teachers' knowledge and if the teachers interpreted this in the way expected by policy-makers. The theoretical basis to the study draws on previous research that conceptualises teacher learning/knowledge acquisition and the change process as being dependant on an interwoven mix of factors, including teacher, school and policy-level contexts and characteristics. To a large degree the findings of this study do not deviate wildly from this prior work, which suggests that policy-makers and planners of CPD programmes, despite their best intentions, still need to be cognisant of such factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adult Education Discourses / Dyskursy Młodych Andragogów is the property of University of Zielona Gora and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• This paper contains an exploration of teachers' understandings of disability-focused oppressive and anti-oppressive pedagogies. • The framework of the study draws from the literature on inclusive and anti-oppressive pedagogies. • Analysis of teachers' interviews before and after their engagement in a programme of professional development, and other sources shed light on how they understand oppressive and anti-oppressive pedagogies. • The data reveal some promising curricular and teaching approaches stemming from teachers' interaction with ideas from disability studies and disability narratives and arts. • The discussion focuses on how the identified key elements of disability-focused anti-oppressive pedagogies can add to existing work on anti-oppressive education. This paper contains an exploration of teachers' understandings of disability-focused oppressive and anti-oppressive pedagogies. The framework of the study draws from the literature on inclusive and anti-oppressive pedagogies. Analysis of teachers' interviews before and after their engagement in a programme of professional development, and other sources (e.g., teachers' lesson plans, handouts, reflective diaries, learners' artefacts), shed light on how they understand oppressive and anti-oppressive pedagogies. At the same time, the data reveal some promising curricular and teaching approaches stemming from teachers' interaction with ideas from disability studies and disability narratives and arts. The discussion focuses on how the identified key elements of disability-focused anti-oppressive pedagogies can add to existing work on anti-oppressive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why does anyone become a teacher, and why a student? Education in its contemporary form has evolved into a subsystem of society in which professional 'teachers/ educators' are confronted with an ever‐changing group of people called 'pupils/students'; and the individuals in both groups now have to deal with this institutionalised confrontation. Neither one nor the other decision—to become a teacher or to become a student—seems to have much to do with a specific other person, and it certainly does not have much to do with the actual person(s) that one is related to by becoming a teacher or by becoming a student in a specific institution. However, if pedagogical relations were as depersonalised as suggested, why is it that teachers as well as students hold very different relations to different students and teachers—relations that are more or less 'deep', 'affectionate', 'successful'? And how are we to perceive education outside of formally institutionalised contexts (or those special relations that occur even within formalised contexts but transcend them)? Is there another type of pedagogical relationship? And what would be the reasons for entering into a pedagogical relationship other than becoming and being made a part of a subsystem of society? Why do two people gravitate towards each other, freely recognising each other as teacher and student? Attempting to answer those questions, the following paper revisits some historic positions, being conscious that those answers are also part of the answer to a much greater question: What is education? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses using action learning with different professional groups in the UK—nurses and educators. It addresses the question: To what extent is action learning an effective approach in relation to professional development, and, if so, in what way/s? The formulation and developmental processes of action learning sets are examined. The paper provides examples of the professional and personal development of these individuals as a result of experiencing the action learning process, as well as some positive impacts (outcomes) they achieved at an organisational level. It is also argued, however, that current tensions and challenges within professional groupings, cultures and contexts can impede action learning and, hence, have a negative impact on professional development. For example, political agendas and the psychodynamics of organisational life were found to hinder, or discourage, the learning process, i.e. the likelihood of bringing about change, in favour of maintaining the status quo for the individuals themselves and within their organisational structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve the standard expected in the classroom, teachers benefit from continuing professional development that enables access to resources with which to inform their practice. Smith and Helfenbein's “Translational Research in Education: Collaboration and Commitment in Urban Contexts.” In The Collaborative Turn: Working Together in Qualitative Research (2009), edited by W. S. Gershon. Rotterdam: Sense, identified that translational research ‘creates a space for collaborative, co-constructed inquiry that values and utilises the expertise of all stakeholders involved’ (page 91). This paper presents an overview and investigation of a founding model, MESH (MappingEducationSpecialist knowHow guides,www.meshguides.org), for translational educational research and knowledge mobilisation in schools and colleges. MESH guides aim to support improved evidence-based and research-informed teaching practice, to in turn improve professional practice for better student attainment. Findings from this qualitative investigation focusing on the use of one MESH guide on the teaching and learning of spelling – in 120 Primary Schools in the South West of England, UK for curriculum development – suggest that teachers value evidence-based resources for curriculum planning and delivery. Furthermore, when resources such as MESH guides are used they do help in planning curricula and lessons and have an impact on both pedagogy, by improving opportunities for learning, and on practice, by reducing planning time. Translational research for knowledge mobilisation in education is shown to give confidence to the teacher through resources that are perceived to be ‘tried and tested’, and can therefore be ‘trusted’ to improve learning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent concern over the quality of teachers staffing the nation's schools has prompted widespread development of educational reform packages designed to improve the teaching profession. Stemming from this effort has been the notion that a teaching career must be structured as a career ladder, progressing from informal elementary instructional tasks to full-time responsibilities in the gymnasium. In this paper we discuss some of the assumptions underlying career ladders in order to highlight their strengths and, more particularly, their weaknesses. We suggest that career ladders address not the true needs of teachers but rather the evaluation needs of administrators. As such, career ladders are not a good means of promoting teacher development. We offer the notion of the career lattice as an alternative means of meeting the motivational needs of teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student teaching as a significant part of the professional development of physical education teachers is implicated in the general failure of teacher education to adequately prepare teachers who can envision a world of schooling that is any different from the present one. This paper argues that the dominant pedagogy of student teaching is inherently conservative, is characterized by technical rationality, and embraces an outmoded view of professional knowledge. The adoption of a critical-inquiry perspective in student teaching is offered as a possible alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recent years have seen an increase in professional learning communities, use of video and lesson study groups, most teachers still work and learn in isolation. What they know is personal and remains private; little opportunity exists for most teachers to develop shared knowledge or language. The scale of the teaching force, and the rapid turnover of new teachers, makes this lack of shared knowledge an acute problem. This paper explores the potential of records of practice for developing collective professional knowledge about teaching and learning. We define and illustrate what we mean by records of practice and elaborate the meaning of the term collective professional knowledge. Three concrete examples of records of practice, originating in different contexts and times, are presented and their special features are analyzed and discussed. The paper clarifies that records are not in themselves professional knowledge, but constitute a valuable and unique resource for the study of practice and the generation of knowledge originating in and useful for practice. To illustrate varied approaches for studying practice, possible uses of records of practice for the generation of collective professional knowledge are described and analyzed. The paper concludes with questions about records of practice and their uses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose — The purpose of the paper is to explore why critical reflexivity should be promoted within mid-career management education programmes and articulate the benefits of a deliberate research orientation for such programmes. Design/methodology/approach — Having considered meta-issues concerning the content and context of management education and research, the article identifies the categorical, methodological and contextual challenges which confront manager-researchers and those facilitating mid-career programmes. It argues that managers need to develop awareness of the different epistemologies and an understanding of their personal ontological orientation and methodological preferences in order to maximise the pertinence and added value of their research. Findings — The paper delineates the curricular, pedagogical and organisational challenges inherent in the promotion of critical reflexivity and research within mid-career programmes. Originality/value — The paper outlines how a deliberate linkage of research and teaching can be forged in order to help managers surface and interrogate the knowledge, norms and values which frame their beliefs and actions. Consequently, it is of practical help to both academics and manager-researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesson study in Japan, the practice in which teachers work collaboratively and reflectively with colleagues on improving their classroom teaching, has recently attracted attention internationally as an effective means of teachers’ professional development. Although lesson study is very useful for helping new teachers join the profession and for teachers to develop pedagogical knowledge, its effectiveness is less clear when teachers have to understand new epistemologies for new forms of learning and teaching. This paper describes a variation of lesson study, called design study, which takes the concept further to involve teachers and researchers working together as a design team. Specifically it describes the development of an experienced classroom teacher through his participation in a design-based research practice, tracing how he shifted his focus towards epistemological issues and successfully developed new pedagogical content knowledge. The paper describes how such a design-based collaborative study might enrich teacher knowledge, and articulates possible factors that might contribute to it as a successful practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the Teachers Network Leadership Institute (TNLI), an initiative designed to bring the voice of teachers into the educational policy arena through teacher action research. We view teachers’ research on teaching and on school processes as an important means through which to expose the various sources of tension between policy and teaching, as well as to elucidate the impact of education policies on teachers’ practice. For the purposes of this paper, four teacher studies were selected as representative of the quality of work that the TNLI teachers are producing and as referents for our discussion of the unseen and public or ‘bright’ sides of teacher research. In addition, we have used surveys, questionnaires and interviews with TNLI participants to assess the impact of TNLI on their teaching, their students, their schools and districts, as well as on teachers’ knowledge of policy‐making. We find that teachers sharing research within teacher networks like TNLI constitutes a significant opportunity for professional development and can help teachers to build bridges across classrooms and schools, to the academy and to the larger policy community by opening up understandings of practice. The negotiation of meaning that ensues can make transparent the ways in which policy is translated into practice and it can highlight opportunities for policy reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive literature, situated mainly in ‘first world’ contexts, on design and evaluation of distance learning materials, emphasises the importance of student feedback. This paper begins with an account of how two groups of students responded to questions on a text they had used in an in‐service professional development programme for teachers of English in a ‘developing’ country. Analysis of assignments based on this text indicated a need for changes to the ways in which the content is mediated, assignments are scaffolded, and diverse teaching and learning contexts are acknowledged. However, when invited to suggest how the text had attempted to construct or position them and in what ways it could be improved, most of the teachers responded as uncritical, satisfied ‘customers’. In the second part of the paper I reflect on possible reasons for this lack of a critical voice and argue that in contexts in which many of their formative experiences as students have been as passive receivers of particular knowledge selections, the lack of critique is to be expected. In order to act in new ways, informants need new discourses, new forms of symbolic capital and opportunities for sustained dialogue. I also argue that where the habitus of a course designer is very different from that of her or his students this difference may constrain productive interaction with student informants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines what we can learn from recent experience of National Strategies and teacher research, with a view to improving the development and warranting of good practice in teaching. Official evaluations report that the authoritative stance of National Strategies has failed to engage many teachers thoughtfully, so restricting deeper professional development and educational improvement. Likewise, recent stocktaking indicates that teacher research has emphasised professional development over knowledge creation, and effecting changes over examining rationales. This paper argues that research‐informed development of good practice could be strengthened through ensuring that National Strategies become exemplary in warranting their recommendations for practice, and in providing support for corresponding teacher research. Developing good practice in teaching calls for stronger interaction between teacher expertise in realising such practice and researcher expertise in analysing it. Methods of lesson study exemplify how teacher thinking about good practice can be not just shared, but codified, and informed by scholarly knowledge; while methods of design research hold promise as a rigorous means of developing learning resources, supporting pedagogies and guiding theories to underpin improvement of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting an undergraduate institution in the United States has been one of the most challenging experiences in college students and their families' lives. Students must weigh in both academic and non-academic factors during the college selection process. Once students have selected a 2-year or 4-year institutions, they are required to take a set of general education courses prior to graduation. In addition to the traditional or honors general education curriculum, courses including remedial math, remedial English, academic success, career success, and diversity/multicultural have been implemented in recent decades as part of the general education curriculum in many undergraduate institutions. These additional courses are implemented to ensure college survival and to address college campus and workplace success issues. This paper evaluates previously published literature regarding the general education curricula that influence success, satisfaction, and retention of undergraduate students in the United States., Introduction Higher education institutions in the United States today have offered a number of general education courses required for graduation. General education courses are considered core classes that all undergraduate [...]

This paper argues for the foregrounding of improvisation and education ‘in the moment’ within youth workers’ professional development. Devised in collaboration with third-year Youth and Community Work students and lecturers at a university in Birmingham, this participatory action research project drew on work of jazz ethnomusicologists and educationalists that details the extensive preparation involved in acquiring the ability to improvise within jazz in order to counter the misconception of youth work as educational practice ‘on the wing’. Through analysis of students’ reflective writing, lecturer feedback, interviews with lecturers and video footage of students leading improvised dialogues with their peers, the study sheds light on the challenges and possibilities involved in the teaching and assessment of improvisation in youth work and suggests that students can be encouraged to actively structure their awareness of improvisation and take responsibility for developing a disposition towards it. The author argues that this is important, not only because such improvised practice ‘works’ instrumentally in terms of engaging young people, many of whom are disengaged from formal education, but because it is also closely aligned ideologically with the value-driven purpose of youth work. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper relates our own experience in working with our undergraduate students, who are studying to be teachers, in their teaching practice. It shows how these students can be involved in various reflective processes hopefully resulting in becoming increasingly aware of various theories of teaching and in the improvement and the development of their perspective of classroom practices. The framework within which we worked incorporated five criteria: observation, experiential practice, personal evaluation, group discussion, and comments by mentors. Problems in the implementation of this framework and possible solutions will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported in this article draws upon data collected for the programme ‘Increasing the Efficiency of Mathematics and Science instruction’ (SINUS-Transfer), a professional development project in Germany. This programme’s approach requires teachers to improve their teaching in a cooperative manner and with regard to pedagogical problem areas in classrooms. A customized portfolio concept was developed to address the portfolio method as a means of supporting and evaluating teacher professional development. The teachers’ acceptance of the method is considered to be the central prerequisite for successful use of the portfolio; therefore, the main question investigated in this paper is how teachers assess the portfolio. Results of latent-class analyses show that acceptance of the portfolio differs widely for different groups of teachers. The study provides indicators on requirements that have to be met in order to effectively use the portfolio as a tool for evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper addresses conceptual issues concerning values in teaching and the professional education of teachers. Proceeding from rejection of a common (empiricist) account of values as subjective tastes, the paper distinguishes three common (more and less restrictive) concepts or senses of value, here referred to under the labels ‘principled preference’, ‘principled commitment’ and ‘principled disposition’. The paper proceeds to argue that, in light of certain distinctive features of teaching as a profession, the key values of teaching should be regarded as ‘principled dispositions’ (or, in another term, virtues). It is further argued that such professional teacher values are best appreciated under the three aspects of ‘intellectual virtues’, ‘procedural virtues’ and ‘moral virtues’ and the paper concludes with a brief exploration of the implications of this analysis for professional teacher education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines secondary science teachers 'perspectives of the role that mentoring by a scientist and science educator pair played in their professional development. Multiple data sources from three years of a professional development project, including interviews, participant reflections, and a focus group, were used to examine the benefits, supporting characteristics, and challenges of the mentoring relationship. Results indicated that primary benefits of the mentoring included assistance in translating science content and inquiry- based pedagogy from the professional development into practice and breaking the isolation felt by secondary science teachers. Specific characteristics that were found to support the teachers in the mentoring relationship included: (1) mentors who were seen as objective, outside observers; (2) a sustained relationship with the mentors; and (3) accountability. Challenges included matching scientists' and science educators' content expertise with teachers' curriculum and the negotiation of roles and expectations between the teachers and mentors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a critique of existing models of continuing professional development (CPD) courses for science teachers in the light of recent thinking about the nature of the subject (in particular, the arguments associated with ‘post‐normal science’) and the challenges presented by the teaching of controversial socio‐scientific issues (especially topics like bio‐technology and genetic modification). An analysis of the outcomes and limitations of an ‘up‐date/top‐down’ kind of CPD is used to argue that future forms of effective CPD must involve teachers in reflecting on the scientific, the social and the pedagogical dimensions to ‘new science’, and the relationships between them in the interests of improved classroom learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Becoming a teacher requires not only the development of a professional identity but the construction of professional knowledge and practice through continued professional learning. This study tracked a sample group of 16 early career teachers through their first year of teaching. The participants were encouraged to write about their experiences in journals and undertake an interview in an attempt to provide an understanding of the central tasks of learning to teach required by early career teachers during their induction into teaching together with the factors which support or hinder their professional learning. This paper makes use of a continuum developed by Feiman-Nemser which identifies Central Tasks in Learning to Teach (CTLT) as a Framework for analysis of participant data. Conclusions indicate developing a professional identity and enacting a beginning repertoire to be the most challenging aspects of professional learning for these teachers. Learning support in the traditional form of formal induction programs and mentoring were recognized as useful; however, collaborative, informal, unplanned learning from colleagues and former peers was also reported as a most significant and valuable source of support. Conversely, participants felt additional responsibilities, difficult classes and unrealistic teaching expectations together with lack of status and professional feedback hindered their professional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reform efforts are often unsuccessful because they failed to understand that teachers play a key role in making educational reforms successful. This paper describes a long‐term teacher professional development (PD) program aimed at educating and training teachers to teach interdisciplinary topics using case‐based method in science. The research objective was to identify, follow and document the processes that science teachers went through as they assimilated the interdisciplinary, case‐based science teaching approach. The research accompanied the PD program throughout its 3‐year period. About 50 teachers, who took part in the PD program, were exposed to an interdisciplinary case‐based teaching method. The research instruments included teacher portfolios, which contained projects and reflection questionnaires, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student feedback questionnaires. The portfolios contained the projects that the teachers had carried out during the PD program, which included case studies and accompanying student activities. We found that the teachers gradually moved from exposure to new teaching methods and subject matter, through active learning and preparing case‐based team projects, to interdisciplinary, active classroom teaching using the case studies they developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latest UK White Paper has once again focused attention on the quality of learning, teaching and professional development in higher education. Underpinning the discussion is the premise that teaching excellence and professional development are essential for all academics, in particular new lecturers, which are firmly positioned within the framework of quality enhancement. The research reported in this article focuses on new lecturers’ constructs of teaching, learning and research as identified by Kelly’s personal construct theory. The elicited constructs are considered with respect to the changing demands and expectations made of new lecturers within the higher education community and the implications these may have for higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academics are experiencing pressures related to accountability and appraisal, excellence, effectiveness and efficiency. These pressures can intensify when the role of postgraduate supervisor is added to an already crowded professional and personal life. Although support and discussion groups for supervisors have been used in professional development programmes, merely ‘confessing’ concerns and inadequacies has limited value. Supervisors need processes that enable them to explore and analyse the complexity of the postgraduate experience. The postmodern, narrative approach to groupwork outlined in this paper—the story-dialogue approach—invites supervisors to examine the metaphors and myths that surround the postgraduate research experience. Story-dialogue groupwork opens to supervisors the possibility for change in their professional practice through greater depth of understanding of the postgraduate experience and the supervisory relationship in that context. It moves the focus of professional development programmes from training to reflective practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditing is essentially a practical subject and one of the problems of teaching it to undergraduates is the fact that they have little or no practical experience and therefore find it relate world of business. Case studies can be a useful way of underpinning theoretical concepts by simulating real-life experiences. In addition to strengthening academic knowledge and understanding, they can also help to develop softer skills such as group working, and in this case, interviewing. The case studies which are the basis of this paper were written for an Auditing module within an Accounting degree. The first case study was run successfully for two years using accounting educators in the roles of company directors. This was a time-consuming exercise for staff, and feedback from students suggested that changes could be made to the way the case study was run. It was therefore decided to recreate the case study to run on computers using both vision and sound. Meanwhile a second, smaller, case study was written.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on schools around the world with many forced to suspend in-person classes. This has meant teachers have been required to find ways to continue teaching remotely. Remote teaching requires specific and extended skills and knowledge from those required in the in-person classroom. This two-stage qualitative-dominant sequential mixed-method study, using a survey of Hong Kong primary and secondary school English language teachers (N = 73) and follow-up interviews (N = 10), collectively explores teachers' readiness for using digital technologies before the pandemic, how they have innovated and professionally developed throughout the pandemic, and what impact the pandemic has had on their pedagogical and technological development. The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for teacher innovation and development. Teachers went through a three-phase period of innovation as they responded to the school closures and adjusted to the new digital environment. To support their innovation, teachers engaged in both school and teacher-initiated professional development. The findings have theoretical implications, proposing a model to explore innovation during times of crisis, "Phases of Innovation in Response to Crisis Process". They also have practical implications, providing examples of innovations adopted by teachers during this period of radical change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restorative justice pedagogies, such as dialogue or peacemaking circles, allow students to learn how to share and listen with peers, set boundaries for moral dialogue, and engage constructively with each other's perspectives. This study is part of a larger project focused on teachers' professional development and circle implementation. The focus of this article is on one teacher's approach to using circles in teaching her intermediate health curriculum unit, situated in a school with a strong restorative justice initiative. In this restorative classroom, dialogue was integrated into regularly enacted academic as well as interpersonal curriculum; this interrupted, or at times reaffirmed, the status quo. Data includes classroom observations, professional development observations, teacher and student interviews, and a reflective researcher journal. Dialogue enacted in this classroom illustrated moral issues students grappled with, relating to sexual health, inclusive sexual identities, and sociocultural relationships. Results illustrated how the teacher's pedagogical choices transmitted values and shaped opportunities for critical dialogue, and that students' social and cultural capital impacted how certain topics were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes work over a three-year period to develop a peer partnership approach to professional development at a dual sector university. The aim of the program, arising initially in one school and then piloted in 5 schools, was to support staff in their teaching practice. Emphasis was on the development of a sustainable model of professional development that could accommodate staff at all levels of teaching experience, including permanent and sessional staff in Higher Education and TAFE. Based on evidence from a university-wide survey of staff attitudes and feedback from initial trials, a five-stage model of voluntary, cross-disciplinary partnerships was developed. Quantitative results suggest the program had impact on pedagogy and skill development as well as enhancing collegial relationships between staff within schools. Suggestions for the future development of such programs are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teacher training for effective implementation of teaching of the nature of science (NOS) is a key issue in the current science education. In this paper, we expose the main components of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for NOS, as knowledge base that a professor of science has to get in their professional development. We propose an integrative PCK-NOS model, several contexts to display the NOS in the classroom, and the use of an explicit & reflective approach. The science teachers training must pay attention to the pointed aspects, and the science education should investigate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the efficiency of the professional portfolio as a tool for developmental tracking, and assessing changes on the teacher's philosophy in the U.S. Preschool teachers can use the portfolio as reference during job application interviews to recall the activities and lessons taught in the classroom. A professional portfolio needs to be presentable in terms of its cover and color as this reflects the owner of the portfolio. Moreover, educators need to know their portfolio for their career growth and development.

The article discusses the lessons on faculty development that have been learned from writing across the curriculum (WAC). Various experiences and opinions on the changing paradigms and modeling practices in faculty development and the approaches in implementing WAC workshops are presented. It is mentioned that the student expectations on instructional delivery must be considered in faculty development.

Objective: Declining interest in psychiatry is an urgent public health issue and has been the subject of many studies. The purpose of the present paper was to survey the attitudes of senior medical students in order to explore reasons why psychiatry might be regarded as an attractive option as a career. Method: Thirty-three students from an Australian university were asked during a written examination to consider why a psychiatric career might be an attractive choice for medical recruits. Key themes were identified and qualitatively analysed from the open-ended responses to the question: 'On the basis of your clinical experience, consider why a psychiatric career is an attractive choice these days.' Results: Thematic analysis indicated that the factors influencing decisions to specialize as a psychiatrist weighted financial and lifestyle advantages. The main drawcard profile was of challenging work that affords a good lifestyle and stimulating research opportunities. Other themes such as rewarding patient interaction, holistic care and variety were also raised. Conclusion: Concern that the Australian psychiatric profession is failing to attract sufficient numbers of high-quality recruits is growing. While the majority of essays analysed in this account suggested that the students perceived psychiatry as an adequate career that affords the benefits of a balanced lifestyle, the constraining nature of the survey question compelled examinees to provide positive responses. Despite this bias, the responses are nonetheless revealing and contribute to understanding of the factors that may influence trainees to enter the field. On the whole, it would appear that the discipline is currently not exciting keen passions in medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at the non-tenure-line instructors in a teacher education programme. Although they play a crucial role in teacher education, they largely toil in the shadows. They have limited voice in programme decisions, are offered little or no induction, and often work in isolation. The high turnover in staff and their heavy teaching and supervision loads make it difficult to begin to develop a pedagogy of teacher education. We offer suggestions about how these instructors might be provided with induction, professional development, and other forms of support. These include supporting them with funds for professional development, including them on research teams, and providing opportunities for tenure-line and non-tenure-line faculty to socialise and work together. Cet article examine sur les instructeurs non-permanents dans un programme d'éducation d'enseignant. Bien qu'ils jouent un rôle crucial dans l'éducation d'enseignant, ils peinent grandement dans les ténèbres. Ils ont une voix limitée dans les décisions de programme, sont offerts presque pas d'induction et travaillent souvent dans l'isolement. Le haut chiffre de retour dans le personnel et leurs lourdes charges de supervision et d'enseignement rendent difficile de commencer à développer une pédagogie d'éducation d'enseignant. Nous offrons des suggestions sur comment ces professeurs pourraient être fournis avec l'induction, le développement professionnel et d'autres formes de soutien. Ceux-ci incluent qu'on doit les soutenir avec les fonds pour le développement professionnel, les inclure dans les équipes de recherche, et fournir des opportunités à la faculté permanente et non-permanente pour socialiser et collaborer. Dieser Artikel beschäftigt sich mit der Situation der nicht fest angestellten ('non-tenure-line') Lehrbeauftragten in der Lehrerausbildung. Obwohl diese eine Schlüsselrolle in der Lehrerausbildung spielen, wird ihre Arbeit weitgehend unterschätzt, denn sie haben wenig Mitspracherecht bei Entscheidungen über das Ausbildungsprogramm, werden kaum eingeführt und arbeiten oft isoliert. Die daraus resultierende hohe Fluktuationsrate unter diesen Lehrbeauftragten und ihre sehr großen Lehr- und Supervisionspensen erschweren die Entwicklung einer Pädagogik für die Lehrerausbildung. In diesem Beitrag machen wir Vorschläge darüber, wie man diesen Lehrbeauftragten eine Einführung, professionelle Entwicklung und weitere Unterstützung anbieten könnte. Dies verlangt finanzielle Mittel für die professionelle Entwicklung, außerdem den Einbezug in die Forschung und die Gelegenheit, mit anderen Dozierenden zu arbeiten und Erfahrungen auszutauschen. Este artículo se centra en el profesorado que no es titular en los programas de la Formación del Profesorado. Aunque ellos juegan un papel importante en la formación del profesorado, normalmente se encuentran en la sombra. Su voz está limitada por lo que se refiere a la decisiones en los programas, se les ofrece poca o ninguna inducción y, amenudo trabajan de manera aislada. El constante cambio en la plantillas junto con la dedicación tanto en la supervisión como en la ensenañanza hace que dificulte el empezar a desarollar una pedagogía de la formación del profesorado. En este sentido, ofrecemos sugerencias sobre cómo este profesorado puede alcanzar con inducción, formación del profesorado, y otras maneras de apoyo. Estas incluyen el apoyarlos con financiación para la formación del profesorado, incluyéndolos en equipos de investigación, y aportándoles oportunidades tanto para los titulares como para los que estan en proceso para socializar y trabajar conjuntamente. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of results from an evaluation of The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning, a professional development program placing technology in the context of student-centered instructional practices. This analysis focuses on the relationship between the professional development and teachers' use of technology in their classroom and their general instructional practices. The results from this study indicate teachers increased their use of technology in ways viewed as more constructivist, regardless of their broader instructional practices. One possible explanation may be the instructional context of the professional development that teachers experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about how the roles of experienced teachers are affected by professional development schools (PDS), which are aimed at improving the professional development of teachers. It offers information on PDS movement and the roles of cooperating teachers incorporated in it. For experienced teachers in PDSs to have involvement in teacher education and professional development, there are personal and organizational prerequisites.