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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship among training design, trainee motivation and work environment on the transfer of learning for teachers enrolled in a continuing professional education (CPE) training program and the confirmation of potential positive, predictive relationships of trainee motivation, work environment and training design to transfer of learning. This study investigated the contribution of training efficiency and relevance as measured by the training design; work environment as measured by work autonomy, work complexity and work variability; and trainee’s motivation of training (learning- and job-oriented) to the transfer of knowledge and skills from the training program to their workplace. Both direct and indirect effects of mentioned components on the learning transfer were explored. Design/methodology/approach This study included 160 teachers working in high-needs schools with large numbers of English learners (ELs) Southwest USA. Teachers in this study primarily needed professional development to empower them and enhance their instructional capacity for ELs and economically challenged students. During the recruitment, participants completed a demographic information (e.g. gender, ethnicity, number of years teaching, age, educational background) survey. Findings A mediation model with training design as the mediating factor was developed and analyzed. The results revealed that training design fully mediated the relationship between trainees’ work environments and the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitude acquired from the training to their workplace. Furthermore, it partially mediated the relationship between learning-oriented motivation and the transfer of learning. These findings further amplify the significance of CPE program training design and foster important considerations for future research regarding the isolation of specific training design aspects that significantly contribute to the mediation of these relationships. Research limitations/implications Considering the significance of learning transfer in developing professional knowledge and skills for target employees and trainees, confirming the mediating effects of training design on training transfer holds critical implications for future research. Specific and purposeful attention needs to be given to the design of CPE training. Investigations into the effects of training design and successful elements such as the training platform (online, hybrid or in-person), sample size, group structure, facilitation and participant demographics are warranted. Practical implications The finding of this research provides a preliminary guide for scholar-practitioners. Results of the study confirmed the role that learning-oriented motivation, job-oriented motivation, work variability or flexibility, work complexity and training design play in transfer of learning. In practice, training professionals will be more comfortable pinpointing the factors that lead to the transfer of learning or the lack of it. Originality/value Learning transfer has been found to be imperative for target employees and trainees to develop professional knowledge, skills and attitudes. Results of this study reveal variables that promote the positive transfer of learning to the workplace.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that led 28 teachers of emergent bilingual (EB) students to seek a master's in educational administration with a focus on bilingual/English as a second language (ESL).Design/methodology/approachTo address the study objectives, the authors used a qualitative phenomenological design. The authors conducted online interviews with 28 teachers of EBs. The authors used the self-determination theory as the theoretical framework.FindingsPrimarily, teachers of EBs were intrinsically motivated to seek the principalship. The authors identified additional motivators that were not found in the previous literature which heretofore was based on general education teachers' responses. Those motivators were, gain advice from mentors, promote cultural awareness, commit to a campus-wide impact, increase awareness of the importance of bilingual/ESL education programs, and foster a relationship with the school community.Practical implicationsIdentifying the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for teachers of EBs who desire to move into a principal position may aid faculty in university principal preparation programs and administrators in school districts to support and mentor these teachers to better serve as leaders in high need schools.Originality/valueThere is little known about intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of teachers of EBs which influence their decisions to change their career paths to become principals.

PurposeThis study was conducted in the United States of America to identify what practices virtual mentor-coaches perceived to be effective in virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC) within virtual professional learning communities (VPLCs). The authors also sought to determine the ways in which virtual mentor-coaches provided VMC for school leaders within VPLCs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a phenomenological approach in our research, describing the lived experiences of practicing virtual mentor-coaches as they engaged in VMC. Data analysis included video analysis and systematic coding of interview data.FindingsAn in-depth analysis of interview and video data showed that virtual mentor-coaches support school leaders in developing and transforming school leaders' leadership for building teachers' instructional capacity. The authors identified a VMC process model within VPLCs, including four steps as follows: (1) presentation, (2) collaboration, (3) reflection and (4) action plan.Practical implicationsVMC for school leaders participating in VPLCs is regarded as a transformative model which provides encouragement, reflection and support for instructional leadership actions.Originality/valueKey steps and components of an effective VMC highlighted in the current research offer practical guidance for future virtual mentor-coaches in conducting and implementing VMC within VPLCs.

As a major component of leadership development, professional development (PD) support needs more researchers to focus on possible ways to build school leaders’ instructional capacity. Despite the increasing use of virtual professional development (VPD) as venues for leadership development, little is known about the essential components of an effective VPD. With the advent of COVID-19, we pivoted to VPD focused on improving school principals’ abilities to help teachers increase their instructional capacity. More specifically, we provided a virtual Summer Leadership Institute (VSLI) on peer coaching via VPD. Since research on effective PD calls for school leaders to translate their learning into leadership practice, we addressed in our sequential explanatory mixed methods study how practicing school leaders in the United States perceived the effectiveness of VPD on school leaders’ professional knowledge and growth related to the VPD topic of peer coaching. We conclude with seven specific principles to consider when developing and providing such a VPD experience for school leaders.

Via a multi-domain, multi-response classroom observation instrument, we observed and analyzed treatment and control teachers’ pedagogical differences when applying cooperative, collaborative, and p...

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine teachers' perceptions of Project Massive Open Online Professional Individualized Learning (MOOPIL) Virtual Professional Development and the role it played in their pedagogical practices as they transitioned from face-to-face to online instruction during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We applied a mixed method approach to understand the experiences of educators engaged in virtual professional development, virtual mentoring and coaching, and an online learning community during a global pandemic in the Spring of 2020. Participants reported various ways Project MOOPIL impacted their experiences as educators. Teachers’ personal experiences in online learning through Project MOOPIL provided insight into the comparable experiences of students who were immersed in online education as well. Teachers reported a successful transfer of knowledge from this experience to their new distance learning domains that not only catered to the needs of ELs in their classes but to native English speakers as well. Furthermore, through their participation in VPLCs and engagement in Project MOOPIL VMC, participants demonstrated the ability to access and benefit from virtual collaborative support even when life got challenging. In this study, we examined virtual professional development intersectionality, distance learning, and the needs of emergent English speakers.

In this empirical study we examined the effect of a literacy-infused science intervention on fifth grade economically challenged students’ science achievement in the curriculum-based and standardized assessments. A total of 27 treatment students and 20 comparison students from two intermediate schools in a rural district in South Texas in the United States participated in the present study. The intervention consisted of ongoing, structured, bi-weekly virtual professional development (VPD) with virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC) at the teacher level and literacy-infused science lessons with inquiry-based learning delivered at the student level. Results revealed a significant and positive intervention effect in favor of treatment students as reflected in higher normal curve equivalent scores in the standardized science assessment and higher scores in curriculum-based assessment. We conclude that the literacy-infused science intervention, inclusive of evidence-based curriculum, VPD, and VMC, is particularly beneficial for promoting science learning for the students in rural areas with educational and economical challenges due to geographic isolation.

The COVID 19 pandemic affected individuals and institutions globally, especially schools. As schools temporarily closed, teachers and administrators worked to develop innovative solutions to the problems generated by the crisis. In this qualitative case study, we examined the impact of leadership practices and responses to the COVID 19 pandemic as perceived by the pre-service principals who were enrolled in a university principal preparation program. Forty-four pre-service principals participated in an open-ended survey to identify leadership practices during the pandemic. Pre-service principals, in the findings, identified five main practices they experienced to overcome the pandemic’s challenges: (a) distributing meals for students and their families; (b) issuing learning materials and devices; (c) coordinating online instructions; (d) assisting leadership teams; and (e) leading professional development sessions to integrate the school teams’ experiences. The research team expects that these findings could assist decision makers in creating new leadership strategies to respond to the natural crisis that society is experiencing.

This mixed-method study aimed to determine teachers' perceptions of Project Massive Open Online Professional Individualized Learning (MOOPIL) Virtual Professional Development and the role it played in their pedagogical practices as they transitioned from face-to-face to online instruction during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We applied a mixed-method approach to understand the experiences of educators engaged in virtual professional development, virtual mentoring and coaching, and an online learning community during a global pandemic in the Spring of 2020. Participants reported various ways Project MOOPIL impacted their experiences as educators. Teachers' personal experiences in online learning through Project MOOPIL provided insight into the comparable experiences of students who were immersed in online education as well. Teachers reported a successful transfer of knowledge from this experience to their new distance learning domains that not only catered to the needs of English language learners (ELLs) in their classes but to native English speakers as well. Furthermore, through their participation in VPLCs and engagement in Project MOOPIL VMC, participants demonstrated the ability to access and benefit from virtual collaborative support even when life got challenging. In this study, we examined virtual professional development intersectionality, distance learning, and the needs of emergent English speakers.

Teachers and school district administrators, particularly in the United States, are increasingly turning to teacher virtual professional development (VPD) to stay current and learn new pedagogical knowledge and skills. With more English learners (ELs) entering public school classrooms, it is essential to find effective ways to prepare educators to meet the needs of these students. The authors examined the improvement of Texas in-service teachers' English as a second language (ESL) pedagogical and content knowledge after participating in a VPD program designed for developing teachers' ESL instructional capacity. Chi-square analyses were conducted with participant pre- and post-survey data (n=61). Results indicated a significant improvement in teacher knowledge after program completion. There was no difference in teachers' knowledge gains based on their school district location. These findings are in line with other researchers who have found improvement in terms of teacher knowledge and instructional practices after participation in VPD.

We conducted a research synthesis to examine the impact of cooperative, collaborative, and peer-tutoring strategies on elementary English learners’ (EL) reading and oral proficiencies in studies from the United States. Seven studies were included in the analysis and fully examined regarding the characteristics of sample, intervention, design, and outcome. Effect sizes were reported by the outcome. We found that cooperative/collaborative/peer-tutoring (CCP) strategies boost elementary ELs’ reading comprehension, reading fluency, and phonemic awareness. Ongoing professional development (PD) and coaching help teachers to improve the quality of strategy implementation. The findings indicated that the quality of implementation, the actual amount of time of these strategies are used in the classroom, and the instructional impact of CCP strategies utilization to improve ELs’ English reading and speaking should be the focus of future research.

In this study, we analyzed the perceptions of treatment teachers who participated in a randomized controlled trial study which targeted a science-infused literacy intervention, Let’s Talk Science, ...

In this study, we presented a practical framework to establish and monitor inter-rater reliability (IRR) of classroom observation instruments as a measure of fidelity of implementation (FOI) in the context of a large-scale, federally-funded, yearly-long randomized study targeting English learners and their teachers’ instruction. We utilized two different instruments and demonstrated the following steps: (a) establishing initial IRR, (b) continuously monitoring IRR, and (c) re-establishing IRR when it fell below the pre-determined cut-off value at each FOI checkpoint from 116 bilingual classrooms across seven school districts in Texas. The on-going training, coding procedures, and calculations of IRR across both treatment and control conditions were closely examined. While this project was equipped with extensive resources and a sophisticated study design, we have also addressed guidelines for establishing and maintaining IRR that can be applied across various designs in under-resourced programs to measure FOI through classroom observation.

In this study, the authors examined the survivability, or persistence over time, of overall science instruction for English learners (ELs) in treatment and control classrooms within a field-based, ...

In education, mentoring is generally defined as a supporting and guiding relationship between an experienced teacher and a preservice or in-service teacher with less experience. Individual studies regarding mentoring in teachers’ specific career trajectories have been conducted; however, a meta-study chronicling such trajectories—of published works on the mentoring of teachers across their career stages, phases, or trajectories—has not been accomplished. Based on a critical review of 1,051 studies, an overview of practical insights for those who mentor teachers or for teachers who are mentored across career levels, as well as an example of a teacher career phase model with mentoring can be observed.

Student learning objectives (SLOs) have become an increasingly popular tool for teacher evaluations as an alternative to Value-added Models (VAMs). However, the use of SLOs faces two major challenges. First, the target setting is mostly subjective and arbitrary. Second, there is little evidence on the reliability and validity of the tool. In this paper, we proposed three data-based SLO target-setting models: split, banded, and class-wide models. The data-based approach ensures that the targets set for students are challenging yet realistic and achievable. Using data of 176 pre-kindergarten teachers and two cohorts of students from a large school district in Texas, we investigated the reliability and predictive validity of teachers’ SLO scores. Results indicated that teachers’ SLO scores had moderate to high consistency across different subtests, and moderate stability over time. Teachers’ SLO scores were also demonstrated to be useful in predicting future students’ achievement, which supported the predictive validity of the tool.

Research in the United States show that professional learning (PL) can improve classroom instruction. However, teachers, especially educators in the content areas, receive insufficient trai...

Academic language is critical for English learners (ELs) to succeed in the science classroom. This study analyzed the instructional practices centered around academic language taking place in eight, fifth-grade classrooms during a grant-funded project. Observational data collected through a classroom observation instrument were analyzed to describe and compare the instructional practices occurring in treatment and control classrooms when teachers and students used academic language. Our findings show both treatment and control classrooms using academic language during the course of the intervention study, but the instruction looked markedly different in each setting. These differences provide valuable insight for practitioners and researchers concerned with the academic language development of ELs in science classrooms.

The purpose of this study was to compare and describe 8 fifth-grade classrooms by their teachers pedagogy during a quasiexperimental, longitudinal, and field-based project focused on increasing Eng...

In this longitudinal study, the cross-language transfer from second language (L2) to first language (L1) was examined among Spanish-speaking English-language learners in an English intervention (Grades 1–3) in the southwest United States. Path analysis revealed statistically significant transfers (ps < .05) for the treatment group from English reading comprehension to Spanish reading comprehension. English vocabulary and English grammar also had an indirect influence on Spanish reading comprehension through English reading comprehension. For the comparison group, no English to Spanish paths were statistically significant. We concluded that intervention activities in L2 influenced L1 reading even when L1 instructional time was reduced.

This dataset belongs to a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) in educational research targeting English learning students and their teachers' instructional capacity. The dataset includes ratings conducted through classroom observations of 45-minute English as a Second language (ESL) blocks. Each coder rated 60 recorded video segments collected from each teacher. During the 20-second segment, ratings of six domains of teachers' instruction (i.e., ESL Strategies, Group, Activity Structure, Mode, Language Content, Language of Teacher, Language of Student) were collected. The dataset is organized by teacher, by coder, and by domain, for researchers to analyze inter-rater reliability among coders by domain and/or cross-domain. This data article is related to the research article Tong et al. [3] on “The determination of appropriate coefficient indices for inter-rater reliability: using classroom observation instruments as fidelity measures in large-scale randomized research”. Keywords: Inter-rater reliability, Classroom observation, Fidelity of implementation, Bilingual/ESL education

This meta-analysis includes experimental and quasi-experimental studies of reading interventions for English learners (ELs) coupled with four specific instructional strategies. The purposes of this meta-analysis were two-fold: (1) to identify the effects of the four instructional strategies (i.e. scaffolding, graphic organizers, interactive read aloud, and leveled questions) on ELs’ reading comprehension; and (2) to evaluate the combined effect of these four strategies when used together on ELs’ reading comprehension. In addition to considering that different studies might have varying effect sizes on ELs’ reading comprehension, we also conducted moderator analyses to explore potential moderators that might affect the variation between selected studies. Our moderators were school level, intervention duration, language learning context, and sample size. After an extensive search of research literature, 23 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria of this meta-analysis study with a total of 2,284 participants. Mean effect sizes among these studies ranged from –.05 to 2.23, depending on instructional strategies. These studies were associated with increased reading comprehension across varied school levels, methodological features, and settings. Our findings showed that each of the four instructional strategies is beneficial for ELs’ reading comprehension. We also found an additional potential benefit on ELs’ reading comprehension when these four instructional strategies are used together throughout a lesson. Our findings also revealed that intervention duration was the only significant moderator, suggesting that the longer the treatment is, the greater the impact will be on ELs’ comprehension.

In this experimental study, we examined the impact of a curriculum-aligned, home-based literacy activity intervention on Chinese low-SES parents’ perceived engagement in their children's English language learning. The intervention was composed of a series of take-home activities in which parents were encouraged to interact and practice with their first-grade children in English speaking, listening, reading, and writing after school. These activities were designed based on the topic and vocabulary of each story in the curriculum and were sent home electronically each week. All materials required in the activities were provided with detailed instructions in Chinese. Parents were encouraged to record or take pictures of their child's work and share with the teachers and research team. A parental engagement survey adopted from previous research was administered among 172 parents before and after the intervention in both treatment and control conditions. Results of repeated measure analysis of variance revealed that the home literacy intervention had a significant and positive effect on treatment parents’ reported engagement in their children's English language learning. Qualitative results from open-ended questions suggested that the home-based literacy activities not only supported student’ English learning outcome and parents’ English vocabulary, but also promoted students’ motivation in English learning, and fostered parent-child relationship. Implications for home-based English literacy activities in low-SES families were discussed.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of Story Telling and retelling and higher order thinking for English Language and Literacy Acquisition (STELLA) on the English oral proficiency of elementary students in Mainland China and Taiwan, where English is taught as a foreign language. The 6-week intervention incorporated direct vocabulary instruction, modeling reading, and leveled questioning strategy through storytelling and retelling, and was delivered by certified English teachers who received weekly virtual professional training in two public schools in Mainland China and Taiwan. An English oral vocabulary measure was administered among 10 students in Mainland China and 9 students in Taiwan before and after the intervention. Paired-sample T-tests were conducted to examine the progress from pretest to posttest on the two cohorts, respectively. The results showed a significant improvement on students’ oral proficiency at both sites.

The authors of this quantitative study measured and compared the academic language development and conceptual understanding of fifth-grade economically disadvantaged English language learners (ELL), former ELLs, and native English-speaking (ES) students as reflected in their science notebook scores. Using an instrument they developed, the authors quantified the student notebook language and concept scores. They compared language growth over time across three time points: beginning, middle, and end of the school year and across language-status (ELL, former ELL, and ES), and gender using mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA). The authors also compared students’ conceptual understanding scores across categories in three domains using ANOVA. Students demonstrated statistically significant growth over time in their academic language as reflected by science notebook scores, and we noticed conceptual trends in which scores for ELLs, former ELLs, and male students lagged behind at fir...

In this study, we address an under-studied challenge related to the accurate use and reporting of coefficient indices for inter-rater reliability (IRR) of classroom observation instruments used to measure fidelity of implementation (FOI) in educational programs serving the needs of English learners. Through empirical data obtained from a randomized controlled trial, we confirmed the existence of kappa paradox. We further determined that Gwet’s AC1 was a robust index for a multiple-dimension-multi-response protocol with nominal data and intraclass correlation was most appropriate for a Likert-rating scale with ordinal data and multiple raters. We highlight the misuse of indices in the literature and call for a careful consideration of robust indices critical to ensure accuracy of observational data and FOI.

We examined the direct impact of an ongoing, intensive, and structured professional development (PD) within an English-as-second-language (ESL) instructional intervention on (a) teachers’ time allocation in cognitive–academic language proficiency (CALP) and (b) Spanish-speaking English language learners’ (ELLs) CALP development from the second to third grade within a multilevel cross-classified framework. Second, we explored the mediation effect of teachers’ time allocation. We observed that treatment teachers spent more time in CALP than control teachers as a result of the instructional intervention with PD. In addition, the treatment effect was evident in ELLs’ outcomes, including expressive vocabulary, oral reading fluency, and retell fluency. Finally, the treatment effect was completely mediated through teachers’ time allocation in CALP in the second grade on retell fluency.