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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]

Educators are one of the occupational groups most at risk of work stress and professional burnout. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review studies on the triggers and facilitators of burnout syndrome in teachers. Method: an exploratory systematic review was conducted including material in English and Spanish, published between 1992 and 2022. More precisely, 27 empirical works that analyzed triggers of burnout syndrome in teachers were selected. In addition, 5 articles and books that addressed aspects related to the facilitators of the syndrome were included. Then the triggers for professional burnout were systematized and classified according to Peiró's taxonomy (40). Finally, the facilitators were grouped into three specific categories. Results: the burnout triggers were: work environment, work overload, role conflict and role ambiguity, interpersonal relationships, professional career development, use of communication and information technologies and organisational structure. The facilitators reported were: socio-demographic characteristics, personality characteristics and coping style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ancient Greeks honoured the concept of kleos (κλέος) aphthiton, eternal renown. An ancient Greek hero earned kleos through great deeds, up to and including his own death. However, the Greeks also believed that kleos could be earned through feats of intellectual procreation. Publication is thus the modern avenue for an academic to earn kleos. The young academic must perforce make an Achillean choice, to go with the mainstream flow and pragmatically publish only that which is needed or required for career advancement - the more facile path - or to strive to produce respectable papers over and above that which is strictly required. The latter is a much more onerous path, but one that is ultimately satisfying and eventually even becomes pour le sport: for fun. [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]

The ability to write is central to students' success at school and beyond, and key to this success is the design and implementation of classroom learning experiences. Teachers' writing lessons are informed by their beliefs about learning, their writing content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. This knowledge supports their interpretation of curriculum documents and their ability to navigate resources for planning and implementing writing lessons. And for teachers who require further development of that content and pedagogical content knowledge, writing teaching becomes problematic. Media and government reports about the decline in writing performance in national and international assessments such as NAPLAN necessitates writing pedagogies research. Findings shared in this paper emerge from a larger project examining literacy demands in New South Wales classrooms across transition points of school. This paper examines two instances of classroom-based practice where students in two consecutive academic school years (Year 2 and 3) with two different teachers participated in a persuasive writing lesson about the same topic - Are cats better than dogs? Analysis of the pedagogical interactions and use of resources provide insights into teacher content knowledge, pedagogical approaches and the subsequent impact on student learning. These findings point to the need for better understanding about the demands on teachers to support students' development of genuine and empowering writing skills. Consequently, the paper argues for professional development that deepens teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge for pedagogies that can better support student writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results from a second-order action research process, accompanying a continuing professional development (CPD), the Pedagogy and Subject Didactics Programme (PFL). PFL is a 2-year-postgraduate university course that focuses primarily on subject didactics, action research methods and peer group learning. This study accompanied PFL 2015–2017 with 20 graduates. The main objectives of the evaluation were to verify and maintain a good quality of the input and the possibility to bring this input into the daily work of teachers. Through the formative process orientation, we as program administrators were enabled to integrate many insights directly into the further development of the course. The described process shows how and to what extent PFL could be positively shaped by feedback from teachers and our reflection on it. In this way we were able to meet the needs of the participants without losing sight of PFL's goal. Targeted interventions enabled us to achieve most of the two main objectives of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore possibilities and challenges for deliberative academic development. Deliberative academic development refers to a practice that engages members of the university in dialogue about its purposes, ways of organizing and leading higher education, as well as teaching and learning. The paper critically analyses data from focus group interviews with academic developers from four universities within two national contexts. Combining sociological conceptualizations of agency and the framework of 'epistemic living spaces', the paper offers insights into challenges and opportunities for deliberative academic development, as well as a framework for studying agency in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 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]

Early career academics (ECAs) face multiple academic challenges as many assume their duties with little or no experience of the work employed. Formal organizational structures within the university space may set programs to assimilate and assert them into their responsibilities gradually. However, where do ECAs retreat to when the hierarchical and procedural spaces frustrate, belittle them, or fall short in their capacity? Our paper reflects on our use of the liminal space to engage in informal conversations that contribute to the advancement of our teaching and learning practices as ECAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between theory, practice and research in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) has been widely discussed in international literature. However, more needs to be done in regard to the examination of concrete examples to foster research and teaching practice in existing teacher education programmes. This paper focuses on a practicum model in ITE which aims at linking teaching and research, theory and practice. The reflective component of the model is oriented towards student teacher professional development under a democratic view of education. Integrating teaching and research and promoting teaching practice as a space of transformation rather than a process of adaptation or of application of theory may well represent a move towards knowledge mobilisation and research-informed practice. The paper concludes with some lessons learned and possible directions in order to overcome the shortcomings of the model and to enhance its positive and innovative features. Abbreviation ITE: Initial teacher education [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on Bernstein's concept of recontextualization, this paper explores how mid-level actors interpret and translate curriculum policies in the context of growing concerns about the performance and accountability of education systems. Little is known about the work of recontextualization agents responsible for the professional development, support and control of teachers, uniquely positioned at the interface of policy and practice, and comparative perspectives are even scarcer. Based on empirical research in France and Canada (Quebec), this paper examines the work of pedagogic advisors and inspectors intervening at lower secondary school level. Data are drawn from interviews (n = 24) conducted in three mid-level school authorities. Our comparative analysis brings to the fore specific forms of recontextualization in each education system. In particular it shows important variations in the use of knowledge based on experience and observation and decontextualized knowledge drawing on research and statistical data. Agents also elaborate different discursive strategies projecting contrasting models of teaching. In both contexts, but to varying degrees, the rise of data and 'evidence' is reshaping the missions of mid-level actors, potentially eroding professional discretion and expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a study that explored the link between teachers' views on the challenges to inquiry-based science teaching (IBST) practice in the chemistry classroom and their need for professional development. The study used a multiple case study design and collected data using interviews. Participants were purposively selected. In all, eight chemistry teachers in six schools participated in the study. Five out of six cases we studied reported that the challenges the schools faced impeded the implementation of IBST. These challenges included lack of awareness of the IBST strategy, limited laboratory facilities and equipment, insufficient textbooks and overcrowded classes. In all, the views of teachers from the six cases suggested that, before embarking on the implementation of inquiry-based science teaching, it is vital to first consider a given school's teaching and learning resources, teacher capacity and motivation as essential factors that support the effective implementation of such innovation. Teachers' voices in all six cases also suggested that IBST implementation requires teacher development that focuses on their actual teaching needs and contextual challenges to optimise innovation outcomes. Three relationships between school implementation context and preferred professional development initiatives emerged. Teachers in private schools with or without resources and independent of class sizes require government-initiated and expert-led provision. Teachers at government schools with limited resources and large classes suggest expert-led workshops with a focus on sharing experiences during the workshops and on return to school. Teachers at government schools with previous access to centralised professional development and sufficient school resources (including improvised materials) indicate the need for in-school support from a professional learning community to strengthen the implementation of IBST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineers and scientists have a key role to play in the creation and implementation of government policy. Policymakers need access to the technical expertise that is critical to our national progress and security; however, this need is often overlooked by engineering students, faculty, and professionals. Even though a substantial fraction of scientists and engineers end up pursuing jobs in government, engineering curricula do not usually provide any background in policy and for many, the policy-making process remains a black box. The good news is that there are some simple ways to make it more accessible and to encourage increased involvement. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the federal policy-making process and present a collection of classroom learning activities that link policy-making and implementation to science and engineering. These can easily be added to existing courses without wholesale curricular changes. We also suggest professional development activities for engineers at all stages of their careers and discuss ways for engineers to become involved in the policy process. Introducing learning and career development activities focused on science and engineering policy will better prepare engineers to provide needed technical expertise to policymakers. It may also encourage engineers to consider careers in local, state, and federal government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will discuss the efforts of one school-university partnership in providing individualized, high quality professional development in the form of a 9-credit, graduate course certificate program in culturally proficient leadership to in-service teachers across 3 schools in the university's PDS network. The researchers document their collaborative efforts in(l) developing the certificate program; (2) designing and implementing the graduate course work; and (3) using culturally responsive, anti-racist leadership tools to promote teacher awareness and critical reflection of issues related to equity, access, and socialjustice teaching (National Association for Professional Development Schools). Reflections on program implementation and student outcomes are also shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on professional development for senior academic staff, in particular, doctoral supervisors. Using an authentic case as an example of a long-term, comprehensive, and mandatory development program for senior staff, we analyse the challenges and benefits of such a program and identify issues for consideration. The main issues include: 1) the need for strong incentive structures initiated by the top management; 2) teaching principles that are aligned with the group of senior academics; and 3) a well-evaluated course that, in the long term, encourages supervisors to participate due to their inner motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores current understanding of microlearning as an effective model for professional development. From a theoretical perspective, the authors explore the rationale for microlearning by considering literature on competency-based education (CBE) and microcredentialing. Existing research specifically focused on microlearning is then considered, including essential design elements for microlearning lessons. The discussion concludes with suggestions for both further research and practice including design and development of microlearning lessons for professional development. We argue that microlearning can be a powerful model if design is appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the experiences of nine secondary school teachers in Hong Kong who conducted practitioner research (PR) in their Liberal Studies classrooms. The purpose of the study is to 1) investigate the impact and effectiveness of PR as a teacher professional development strategy and 2) identify effective support from the university team addressing the challenges relevant to an Asia-Pacific context. The study employed a qualitative design. Data were drawn from teacher interviews, meetings between the research team and the teachers, school documents and field notes. Findings suggest that while contextual challenges exist, PR is an effective approach for teacher professional development. Teachers perceived the direct impact of PR as observing the improvement of pupil performance and engagement, and a readiness to adopt new teaching strategies. Teachers also reflected on the benefits of professional development as related to the use of evidence to support reflection on pupil learning and teaching, and redefining teachers' roles. The findings provide insight into designing effective support and collaborative strategies for PR. With the support of the findings, a feasible approach to PR as a teacher professional development strategy relevant to an Asia-Pacific context is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle-level administrators in African universities are often under-utilised in terms of their contribution to the administrative support for learning and teaching. They also have little access to professional development. This paper presents the findings of a study to develop a programme to enable these administrators to enhance their support for learning and teaching in their institutions. Following a selection process based on their own universities and programme workshop sessions, participants carry out projects to 'make a difference' to administrative effectiveness. Analysis of project reports and participant interviews shows that the projects had a real impact, and this remains ongoing in many cases. The programme design is evaluated, and key elements highlighted: a locally based selection process; international accreditation; a strength-based approach and authentic assessment involving a workplace project and reflection on learning. Educators who work in similar 'lower-income country' contexts may find it constructive to make comparisons with their own experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a new phase of research of the scaling of Cornerstone Maths (CM), technology-enhanced curriculum units for lower secondary mathematics that embed dynamic mathematical technology (DMT). These combine web-based DMT, pupil and teacher materials, and teacher professional development that focus on developing the mathematical knowledge and pedagogies for teaching with technology. This paper presents the background research with teachers using CM (111 teachers from 42 London secondary schools in the period 2014–2017) that suggests the need for a web-based "professional development toolkit" to support the sustainability of the innovation and "within-school" scaling beyond the timeline of the funded project. It concludes with the research basis of the toolkit's design principles and structure that are designed to support teachers to implement DMT in their classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of strategy instruction with an emphasis on oral language and dramatization on the quality of first graders' procedural papers. Participants were 121 first grade students who attended a rural school and six teachers. Students and teachers were randomly assigned to condition. Instruction lasted for 9 days and professional development and coaching were based on video and online observations. Teachers completed an efficacy questionnaire at the beginning and end of the study and participated in interviews. Twenty students (n = 10 treatment) were also interviewed at posttest. Statistically significant differences were found for writing quality with the treatment group outperforming the control (p <.001). The Professional Development (PD) and coaching via videos were positively perceived by teachers. Implications for future research and limitations are also discussed. [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]

In this paper we philosophically explore the notion of darkness within higher education teaching and learning. Within the present-day discourse of how to make visible and to explicate teaching and learning strategies through alignment procedures and evidence-based intellectual leadership, we argue that dark spots and blind angles grow too. As we struggle to make visible and to evaluate, assess, manage and organise higher education, the darkness of the institution actually expands. We use the term 'dark' to comprehend challenges, situations, reactions, aims and goals, which cannot easily be understood and solved by agendas of quality assurance and professionalisation of higher education. We need to understand better why gender issues or ethnic conflicts emerge, and why students take up arms, within an institution which is thought to be inclusive, inviting and open to all kinds of people and cultures. And we need to study the educational potential of days of boredom or isolation, caught up in daily routines of teaching or studying which do not lead anywhere or give way to any productive work. These matters have not been sufficiently researched and conceptualised as meaningful in themselves. We aim here to open a space for insights through the concept of darkness presented in this paper. In order to make educational darkness palpable we draw on the philosophies of darkness found in the work of Friedrich Nietzsche and Emmanuel Levinas. Through those philosophies we argue that the growing darkness within higher education is not a symptom we should fear and avoid. Having the ability and courage to face these darker educational aspects of everyday higher education practice will enable students and teachers to find renewed hope in the university as an institution for personal as well as professional imagination and growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

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]

In this paper, we present an analysis of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (SoTL) which contributes to SoTL both as a field of research practice and as a background to professional development in higher education. We analyse and describe the constitution of the field, and in so doing address its nature in the face of the dilemma of, on the one hand, its diversity and, on the other hand, its generally agreed set of purposes. Our analysis of SoTL knowledge is conceptualised as relational, connecting SoTL practitioners with the work they disseminate to the community at large. We describe and exemplify the internal horizon of the field in terms of five domains: the didactic and the epistemic, which we refer to as the knowledge building domains, and the interpersonal, the moral/ethical and the societal domains, which we refer to as the axiological domains. The external horizon is described in terms of four aspects of the context that can impact the production and implementation of SoTL knowledge: the disciplinary, the professional, the cultural and the political aspects. Methodological emphasis is equally on the axiological underpinnings of SoTL, its values and attitudes, as the ontological and epistemological underpinnings that are predominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coteaching provides opportunities for teachers to collectively share responsibility for student learning. This paper reports on findings from a longitudinal study in which cooperating teachers cotaught science classes with student teachers. Through coteaching with student teachers, teachers expanded their teaching practice and developed new insights about their teaching. Coteaching served as professional development for the cooperating teachers. The experience provided them with renewed energy toward practice, opportunities to develop and implement curriculum, reflection as a catalyst for changing practice, and an expansion of professional roles into new arenas. [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]

The paper examines influences of doctoral study and structured early career interventions on academic work. It uses evidence from a survey in six Australian universities (n=1158) to explore academics' engagement with research and teaching development. It regards universities as social situations that are ambiguous, presenting conflicting opportunities for growth and development and the pursuit of personal objectives. Academics' emphases on different aspects of academic work involve complex responses that are subject to many influences. It shows that doctoral work may avoid developing key skills that academics need and that the extent to which doctoral study prepares academics for different aspects of their role is different in different disciplines and institutions. It also shows that the conduct of academics in their major roles is little influenced by the training and development they engage in. The paper discusses the survey findings in terms of what constrains and what enables academics to take up particular development opportunities. It argues that to understand academic practice, analysis of how organisational influences are interpreted is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Individuals moving from job to job are argued as a feature of reflexive modernity. This trend is reflected in the increasing number and diversity of 'career changers' or 'second career teachers' recruited to teaching. Having recruited teachers, retaining them in the profession is recognised as a considerable challenge. In terms of retention, the induction year and the role of the NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) mentor are increasingly seen as significant in meeting this challenge. The research focus on the experience of career changers in teaching has largely been on those moving into the secondary phase. This paper contributes to the literature by exploring the experiences of three primary school NQT career changers from a PGCE primary programme at a university in England. It adds to the considerable literature on how NQTs generally come to identify with and through the culture of the school. The experiences of the participants' first year of teaching in their respective primary schools are explored through a constructive grounded theory methodology. It recounts their reality in line with the view that if human beings define situations as real they are real in their consequences. The data are argued as local and detailed rather than representing a universal truth, a partial reality which can be drawn upon to illuminate the bigger picture for primary career changers. Analysis, which was initially inductive draws on notions from Lave and Wenger's and Wenger's work on communities of practice 'legitimate peripheral participation' and 'leverage' and their significance for job satisfaction in the NQT year. The research found that 'being managed' emerged as the key concern for the NQTs. In addition, their positioning in relation to their previous work experience was significant in achieving job satisfaction. Those who saw themselves as experienced newcomers and wished their previous work experience to be acknowledged found that it was variably capitalised upon in primary teaching. There is also a suggestion here that being 'different' in this paper - male or gay teachers was problematic. The findings have implications for teacher trainers and NQT mentors in that it offers a perspective on the range of experiences career changer NQTs bring with them to teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two beginning teacher educators discuss their experiences of professional learning and identity construction during the first years of their work as academics. The authors entered teacher education after working as classroom teachers but, as has been found by others in the literature, were provided with little formal preparation for this career transition. It appears from the literature, and from the authors' experiences, that there is little research into the professional development processes and needs of teacher educators, and that there is an assumption that competent, experienced school teachers will automatically become proficient teacher educators. In this paper, using a self-study methodology, the authors explore their experiences of constructing new professional identities as teacher educators. They use the analytical framework of 'communities of practice' as articulated by Lave and Wenger. The tensions and dilemmas inherent in being 'expert' teachers and 'novice' teacher educators are discussed, with particular focus on the complexity of developing professional connections with colleagues in the academic context, and on building new relationships with student-teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the participatory approach used by a group of academic support staff in evaluating an academic professional development resource designed to support e-learning and teaching. The resource, titled Designing Electronic Learning and Teaching Approaches (DELTA), showcases examples of electronic learning and teaching approaches developed at Monash University, Australia. The evaluation included individual and collective reflection, dialogue and action, drawing on the features of participatory action research. This paper explores the value of this critically reflective, participatory approach for evaluation to improve the use of new learning technologies, demonstrating how it provided a clear decision-making framework for iterative improvement of the DELTA site by identifying consensus items for action and recording other items for later consideration, while also contributing to team members' own professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the context for education research, including teacher education research, in Scotland. Concerns about research capacity are shared with other parts of the UK, but the distinctive context for teacher development and engagement in practitioner research create fertile ground for developments in teacher education research. Schemes such as 'Research to support Schools of Ambition' provide evidence of a shared commitment to teacher research. The national project, 'Applied Education Research Scheme', funded by the Scottish government and the Scottish Funding Council, included a thematic network on learners, learning and teaching. Drawing on activities of this sort, the paper suggests that a key element of effective capacity building lies in collaborative approaches. [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]

The aim of this paper is to explore the complex situation regarding the state of the international relations (IR) discipline in France. The paper analyses the development of IR within French academe, reviews the scholarly output of IR teaching and research institutions and makes proposals that could contribute to improving the situation.European Political Science (2009) 8, 239–253. doi:10.1057/eps.2009.7 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that, contrary to a commonly held view, it is possible to teach the European Union (EU) in a way that makes students enthusiastic about the subject. The paper is informed by my experience of leading a EU simulation module, based on a modified problem-based learning (PBL) approach. The idea is to share my experience and prompt a debate on (1) how the EU can be taught in exciting ways for students, and (2) how an adapted PBL approach in the form of a simulation can significantly help to deepen students’ interest in the EU as a subject.European Political Science (2009) 8, 254–265. doi:10.1057/eps.2009.8 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher reflection on action has been studied extensively in the last 25 years. To appreciate the concept and its use, we should look at the key features of reflection on action (TRA) as identified in research and what teachers state is typical of reflection. In three other studies we have explored possible alignments among (1) what has been claimed (using 50 conceptual papers); (2) what has been disseminated to teachers (using 122 articles on teacher development); and (3) what has been described by teachers (analyzing 49 teacher accounts of reflection practices). As a result of this exploration, we found little empirical evidence for what has been stated in theoretical essays. The research-based papers revealed that the studies conducted were not very relevant for key characteristics of TRA as identified by the theoretical papers. Furthermore, in attempting to gauge teachers' reflections, the research does not really reflect what is advocated by models of reflection. These findings led us to conclude that the concept of teacher reflection on action is still very much in flux and may not be adopted as intended in programs of teacher professional development and teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents a self-study research group's development and its effects on 11 participants. Drawing on the scholarship of the self-study tradition within educational research, we see teacher knowledge as an important and largely untapped source for the improvement of teaching. Positioning participants to look at the sense and selves being made on a continual basis is the task embraced by this self-study group. The paper reveals professional development risks and opportunities confronted by educators through vulnerably, accountably, integrally, and mindfully negotiating teaching-learning lives. The findings suggest that our bodies are the reflexive ground of comprehension, confronting vulnerability, seeking accountability to self, negotiating theory as working notions, and experiencing the pull of teaching-learning possibilities. Thus the role of embodiment within teaching-learning practices is elucidated through educator professional development in action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers perceptions of the effectiveness of training for teachers who work in ‘full‐day’ schools in the professional development of teachers and the implications for education policy. Through an empirical investigation this paper points out that recent education reforms regarding in‐service teacher training cannot be considered as the most important positive influence on teachers' progression and consequently on meeting the learning needs of pupils in full‐day schools. The lack of encouragement and motivation offered by the Greek school administration is linked to the unwillingness of Greek school teachers to participate in in‐service training. As a result of the latter, there are teachers in full‐day schools offering extra curricula activity who are without the appropriate knowledge and the skill of reflection, teachers who have not developed the qualifications to teach effectively. Thus, it is evident that teacher in‐service training in Greece needs careful reconsideration by the Ministry of Education. All schools (all types) should have appropriately‐trained teaching staff and teachers that adjust more easily to the social, technological and academic changes that naturally occur in the school environment.L'objectif de cette étude est d'examiner les perceptions des instituteurs au sujet de l'efficacité de la formation reçue par les instituteurs travaillant dans les écoles à horaire élargi sur leur développement professionnel ainsi que sur la politique éducative. Basée sur une approche expérimentale, cette étude constate que les reformes éducatives récentes concernant la formation des instituteurs lors de leur horaire de travail ne saurait avoir un impact positif et considérable sur leur progrès ni les aider à répondre aux besoins éducatifs des élèves des écoles horaire élargi. Le manque d'encouragement et de motivation de la part de l'administration scolaire grecque est étroitement lié aux réticences des instituteurs grecs de suivre une formation supplémentaire après leur nomination. Par conséquent, il y a des instituteurs dans les écoles à horaire élargi chargés d'animer des activités hors programme sans posséder ni les connaissances nécessaires ni la compétence de transmission, à savoir des instituteurs complètement démunis de toute aptitude qui leur permettrait d'enseigner efficacement. Il est donc bien évident que la formation des instituteurs en Grèce, après leur nomination, nécessite une réforme adéquate de la part du Ministère de l'Education. Chaque école, indépendamment de sa catégorie devrait être équipée d'un personnel formé et les instituteurs devraient s'adapter plus facilement aux changements sociaux, technologiques et académiques advenant dans le milieu scolaire.El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las percepciones de los profesores sobre la efectividad que tienen los cursos de formación para profesores en activo en colegios de día completo, en su desarrollo profesional, así como sobre sus implicaciones en la política de educación. A través de un estudio experimental, este artículo pone de relevancia que las recientes reformas de la educación relacionadas con los cursos de formacion de profesores en activo no se consideran como la influencia positiva mas importante en la progresión de dichos profesores y por consiguiente en la consecución de las necesidades educativas de los estudiantes en los colegios de día completo. La falta de estímulo y motivación por parte de la administración escolar de Grecia está relacionada con la reticencia de los profesores de educación primaria de Grecia a someterse durante su servicio a cursos de formación. Como consecuencia de esto último, existen profesores en los colegios de día completo que ofrecen actividades extra‐curriculares sin los conocimientos necesarios y los reflejos adecuados, profesores que no han desarrollado las cualificaciones necesarias para enseñar con eficacia. Por lo tanto, es evidente que el Ministerio de Educación griego debe reconsiderar minuciosamente los cursos para profesores en activo. Todos los colegios (todos los tipos de colegios) deben de disponer en su plantilla de profesores con una formación adecuada y que sepan adaptarse con mayor facilidad a los cambios sociales, tecnológicos y académicos que ocurren de forma natural en el ambiente escolar.Zweck dieser Studie ist die Nachforschung der Ansicht von Lehrern über die Wirksamkeit der Weiterbildung von Lehrern, die speziell in Ganztagschulen tätig sind, sowie ihre Berufsentwicklung und die Konsequenzen auf die allgemeine Ausbildungspolitik. Wie es mittels empirischer Annäherung gezeigt wird, es könne nicht angenommen werden, dass die letzten Reformen im Bereich der Weiterbildung von Lehrern während ihrer Tätigkeit, ihren Fortschritt, und demnach ihre Anpassung auf die Ausbildungsbeduerfnisse der Schüler von Ganztagsschulen, positiv und bedeudent beeinflussen. Der Mangel an Motivation von der Seite der Griechischen Schulverwaltung wird verbunden mit der Abgeneigtheit der Griechischen Lehrer, sich nach ihrer Einstellung weiterzubilden. Das hat wiederrum als Folge, dass es in Ganztagsschulen Lehrer gibt, die für Aktivitäten ausserhalb des dienstlichen Ausbildungsplans zuständig sind, und die über die notwendigen Kenntnisse und die Fähigkeit der U˝bertragbarkeit nicht verfügen, also Lehrer mit unzureichenden Qualifikation, die nicht effektiv lehren können. Folglich, es ist Tatsache, dass in Griechenland die Weiterbildung der Lehrer nach ihrer Einstellung, sorgfältige U˝berprüfung von der Seite des Ausbildungsministeriums bedarf. Alle Schultypen sollten über das geignet ausgebildete Personal verfügen, und die Lehrer sollten sich den gesellschaftlichen, technologischen und akademischen Änderungen, die naturgemäss im Schulbereich auftreten könnten, leichter anpassen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the idea of thinking skills approaches as tools for pedagogical inquiry and in so doing seeks to develop the link between the promotion of inquiry‐based learning, which is a central tenet of thinking skills, and inquiry‐based teaching as an approach to professional development and school improvement. The first part of the paper examines the impact of teaching thinking skills on teachers by drawing upon a systematic review of research evidence. The second part of the paper sets the characteristics identified in the context of research into teachers’ development and considers the contribution of a pedagogy based on thinking skills approaches to continuing professional development. [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]

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]

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]

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 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]

My inspiration for this paper arose at the third Carfax international conference, Reflection as a catalyst for change , through two different papers presented to the conference: Margaret Ledwith’s paper that told her mother’s life story, and Robert Grossman’s paper on Perry’s stages of intellectual and ethical development. For me, the connection between these papers lay in their resonance with my approach to reflection and practice in professional development and learning. In this article, I address working with memoir to identify how this process awakens our sensibilities, linking life story with moral development and the process of coming to know and learn. I will explain how the process of reflection was undertaken and address how this approach can facilitate the way reflection is taught and most meaningfully learned in a professional development context. I will point to the benefits this approach can facilitate, by indicating albeit briefly, the impact this approach has had on others, their work and my role as a tutor. I suggest this approach to reflection can facilitate renewed professional identities and practice improvement that is driven by a desire to bring rationality and justice to our work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent years increasing attention has been given to professional development for aspiring heads in the UK and elsewhere. In Scotland, the Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH) was devised as a means of preparing for headship. This paper draws from the national evaluation of the SQH in order to assess the extent to which this programme appears to be achieving the development of the kinds of leadership qualities which have been identified as significant in recent research. However, the paper does not focus simply on the development of the qualities of the individual candidate but looks at the impact of the SQH in the wider professional setting, particularly in the schools where candidates are working. It appears that the programme has been effective in many instances in engaging with the dynamic emotional and professional dimensions of teacher development and in contributing to school improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]