scholarly journals Novice Teachers’ Concerns, Early Professional Experiences and Development: Implications for Theory and Practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olena Zhukova
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Novice Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Quality Of Teaching

Abstract Quality teaching, being a key factor in shaping students’ academic and personal growth, has been at the centre of scientific debate for many years. Sustainable professional development of novice teachers has recently been recognized worldwide as one of the key areas for improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools. Given that the initial years on the job are generally characterised by novice teachers as the most challenging and intense in their career, the following questions typically arise: What can be done to sustain and facilitate teaching at the early developmental stages in teachers’ career? What are the contextual factors and the prerequisites leading to the quality of teaching and learning? The article presents the findings from a two-year longitudinal qualitative study aimed to contribute to the research base for understanding this crucial stage. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to provide deeper understanding and insights into key factors influencing and shaping novice teachers’ early professional development and learning, as well as their capacities to effectively adapt to their new roles and operate in complex and dynamically changing open-ended school environment. The research is framed as a cross-case analysis of 4 cases of novice teachers working in public secondary schools. The data were collected through multiple sources (i.e. semi-structured in-depth interviews, questionnaire, and focus groups) over a two-year period spanning the participants’ first and second full-time teaching years. Substantial differences in experiences and beliefs among the novice teachers, with varying levels of job satisfaction and professional support received, were identified in the study. The authors have also identified numerous patterns of novice teachers’ teaching practice closely associated with teachers’concerns and early professional experience interpretations, which might result in substantial fluctuation in teaching quality and teacher’s career paths. Implications for teacher education programs, mentoring, supervision, teachers’ professional development, and future research are discussed.

Integrating Technology in the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education in Namibia

2018 ◽  
pp. 115-131
Author(s):  
Katherine Carter ◽  
Michelle Maree ◽  
Geoffrey Shakwa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Interpretive Paradigm ◽  
Impact Of Technology

Few studies have examined the use and impact of technology in professional development programs in higher education. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the significance of technology as a tool for professional development in a postgraduate program in higher education in Namibia. Framed in the interpretive paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative approach. Data were collected through an open-ended qualitative questionnaire distributed to participants in the first four weeks of the postgraduate program and a second time six months afterwards. The findings reveal that the use of the flipped classroom approach and the use of the reflective e-portfolio enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the delivery of the postgraduate program as well as in the participants' teaching practice.

scholarly journals Teaching Quality Evaluation: Online vs. Manually, Facts and Myths

10.28945/3904 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 277-290
Author(s):  
Esmael A. Salman
Keyword(s):  
Online Teaching ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Teaching Evaluation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Online Feedback

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to examine whether there is a difference between manual feedback and online feedback with regard to feedback quality, respondents’ percentage, reliability and the amount of verbal comments written by students. Background: The quality of teaching is an important component of academic work. There are various methods for testing the quality of teaching; one of these methods is through students’ feedback. Methodology: This study used a quantitative approach, including the quantification of qualitative verbal data collected through an open question in the questionnaire. A sample of 180 courses was randomly chosen, 90 courses were evaluated manually and 90 were evaluated online. The number of students ranges from 7 to 60 students per course. In total 4678 students participated in the study. Contribution: The findings show that there is almost an identical pattern of feedback of manual and online course teaching evaluation. These findings encourage a continued use of this evaluation method. Findings: No significant differences were found between manual feedback and online feedback in the students’ evaluation of the lecturer/course. The percentage of respondents was significantly higher in the manual feedback than in the online feedback. The number of qualitative comments was significantly greater in the online feedback than in the manual feedback. Impact on Society: The findings of this study refute the claims with regard to the unreliability of an online teaching evaluation. These findings reflect the advantages of using online feedback, such as cost savings, granting more time to students in order to provide feedback, and reducing disturbance during lectures. Future Research: The gender aspect was not taken into account in the study. Therefore, we recommend conducting a follow-up study that will examine gender differences in directions of- difference between male and female lecturers, and differences between male and female students in teaching evaluation.

scholarly journals Teachers’ assessment of the possibilities for demonstrating personal initiative

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-91
Author(s):  
Nada Polovina ◽  
Djurdjica Komlenovic
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Organizational Functioning ◽  
Personal Initiative ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

This paper deals with the phenomenon of teachers? personal initiative in school everyday life as the significant factor of the quality of teaching and learning. Our goal is to explore how teachers assess their initiative - to what extent and in which way they show initiative, and what are the factors that encourage and hinder its demonstration. The first part of the paper analyses the very construct of ?initiative? - its determinants and the relation with similar constructs. The second part of the paper presents results of the research that included 182 teachers from urban primary schools from the entire territory of Serbia. Teachers gave their opinion about the presence and demonstration of personal initiative by replying to items in the questionnaire constructed for the purposes of this research. Obtained data were processed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results indicate that the majority of teachers consider themselves as persons of initiative. They believe that there is plenty of space to show initiative in creating atmosphere in the class, lecturing and in cooperation with parents and colleagues, while the least space for that is in organizational functioning of school and professional development. Teachers do not think that there are bigger obstacles to demonstrating their initiative; however, they are of the opinion that there is a lack of developed support to such demonstration when it comes to school environment factors.

scholarly journals Can continuing professional development utilizing a game-centred approach improve the quality of physical education teaching delivered by generalist primary school teachers?

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Miller ◽  
Narelle Eather ◽  
Shirley Gray ◽  
John Sproule ◽  
Cheryl Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Information Session

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a continuing professional development (CPD) intervention in producing changes in physical education (PE) teaching practice and PE teaching quality by generalist primary school teachers when the CPD addressed the use of a game-centred approach. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in seven primary schools in the Hunter Region, New South Wales, Australia. One year six teacher from each school was randomized into the Professional Learning for Understanding Games Education (PLUNGE) intervention ( n = 4 teachers) or the 7-week wait-list control ( n = 3) condition. The PLUNGE intervention (weeks 1–5) used an instructional framework to improve teachers’ knowledge, understanding and delivery of a game-centred curriculum, and included an information session and weekly in-class mentoring. The intervention was designed to enhance content and pedagogical knowledge for the provision of pedagogy focused on a broad range of learning outcomes. Teaching quality was assessed at baseline and follow-up (weeks 6 and 7) via observation of two consecutive PE lessons using the Quality Teaching Lesson Observation Scales. Linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time intervention effects ( p < 0.05) for the quality of teaching (effect size: d = 1.7). CPD using an information session and mentoring, and a focus on the development of the quality of teaching using a game-centred pedagogical approach was efficacious in improving the quality of PE teaching among generalist primary school teachers.

scholarly journals Practical Dimension and Optimization Strategy of Improving the Teaching Quality of Political Theory Courses in Colleges and Universities

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Xiaojian Xu
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
The Political ◽  
Optimization Strategy ◽  
Teaching Resources

It is the fundamental task of the political theory courses in colleges and universities to cultivate the builders and successors of the socialist cause. Because the teaching of political theory courses plays an important role in casting souls and educating people. Therefore, teachers should focus on enhancing the dissemination, theory and pertinence of ideological and political teaching in the process of carrying out political theory courses teaching practice, and make great efforts in the theory, content and methods of political theory courses teaching in order to continuously improve the teaching quality of political theory courses. Make the political theory courses truly recognized by the majority of young students. From the perspective of "teaching" and "learning", the improvement of political theory teaching quality in colleges and universities can be considered from three practical dimensions: curriculum cognition, goal orientation and teaching resources.

Augmented Reality

2018 ◽  
pp. 291-309
Author(s):  
Nhu Le ◽  
Hanh Dinh
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
Language Classrooms

Rapid advancement in technology has altered the way language education is conceptualized and practiced. Technological tools, when effectively integrated with appropriate pedagogical foundations, can enhance the quality of teaching and learning experiences. Augmented reality (AR) has emerged as one of the latest technologies offering a new way to bridge virtual and reality worlds. Due to the widespread proliferation of digital technology, the implementation of AR on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has become a growing trend in educational settings. Regardless of the advantages that AR technology brings to language classrooms, there have been very few studies exploring the design, evaluation, and applications of AR for educational purposes. Therefore, this chapter aims to (a) introduce AR technology in learning environments, (b) embrace its potentials and foreseeable hindrances to language education, (c) discuss practical and applicable ways to use this merging technology effectively in the classroom, and (d) propose some issues for future research.

scholarly journals ‘Across the Divide’: Developing Professional Learning Ecosystems in STEM Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 2463-2481
Author(s):  
Deborah Ralls ◽  
Lynne Bianchi ◽  
Sophina Choudry
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Partnerships ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
University School Partnerships

AbstractThis paper reports the findings from a cross-sector research project designed to question how the development of university-school partnerships can influence university academics’ pedagogic practice in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Findings from this research are offered at time when, in parallel with countries around the world, universities and schools in England are being encouraged to review and reflect on the quality of teaching and professional development, in line with the Teaching Excellence Framework consultation (2016) and the Standards for Professional Development (Department for Education 2016b) (Bianchi 2017). This paper seeks to develop a coherent response to two major issues; the policy imperative to develop greater science expertise in schools and to improve the quality of teaching and learning of science in higher education institutions. The research seeks to advance the notion of critical reflection on the quality of cross-sector STEM teaching and learning, by moving to what the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2015, p.15) terms a “‘meso’ networked level” of professional development in STEM education. This paper highlights how interpreting the imperative of constant change in education reform as a relational, outward looking endeavour offers the potential to help both universities and schools to better address the global education challenges that lie ahead.

ZPD Incidence Development Strategy for Demand of Information Technology in Engineering Teaching: Comparing Teachers Belong to Different University

2011 ◽  
Vol 267 ◽  
pp. 926-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Hui Chen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Delphi Method ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Regional University ◽  
Learning Issues

Many regional higher education institutes (mainly regional university) promoted to be comprehensive regional higher education institutes (CRHEIs) from 2006 in China. Students in those CRHEIs become more and more, and the quality of teaching should be improved. This paper reports on findings amongst staff in adopting information technology at Linyi University and Southwest University. The methodology for carrying out the tasks involved using questionnaire that assessed views of staff in their use of email, software tools and internet facilities for teaching and learning issues. We discussed these issues using normative Delphi method. The paper ends with recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals ELT Online Teachers’ Professional Development During the Covid-19 Pandemic Outbreak: Perceptions, Implications and Adaptations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1161-1170
Author(s):  
Abdullah Al-Bargi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Teachers

As lockdown restrictions were implemented in most countries around the world with the subsequent transition to full-mode online teaching and learning, English language teachers (ELTs) in particular, had to adapt and adopt new teaching strategies. These unexpected changes to the medium or mode of teaching necessitated the provision of efficacious and coherent professional development (PD) training in order to smoothly navigate the transition from full-time (or semi full-time) onsite teaching and learning to full-mode online teaching. This research study, based on sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design, is aimed at exploring the availability and provision of ELT PD opportunities at English Language Institutes (ELIs)/English Language Centers (ELCs), at five major universities in Saudi Arabia and the perception of the ELT teachers on its coherence and adequacy. A total of 307 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) male and female teachers participated in a custom designed 20-item questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale, as well as ten EFL teachers (6 female and 4 male) taking part in 40-minute semi-structured interviews, to explore their perception and opinions of online PD opportunities. Analysis of results of the gathered data indicated that the majority of the teachers felt that there were adequate online PD opportunities while the structures of these opportunities sufficiently addressed most of their needs. However, some teachers voiced concerns regarding the correlation between contextual, full-mode online teaching and the online PD sessions provided. Implications and recommendations for stake holders as well as for future research are given at the end of this study.

Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Jigsaw dalam Pembelajaran Fisika

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawane Malau
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Learning Group ◽  
Learning Plan ◽  
Quality Of Teaching

<p>This research was conducted for the purpose of getting a clear and complete <br />picture conserning the quality of teaching and learning process through eveloping and implementing jigsaw type cooparative learning model for subject of Thermodynamics. The quality of teaching and learning process can be viewed by positive response of university students towards thermodynamics subject using the implemented jigsaw type cooparative learning model. The subject of this research were students of high school class X, semester II in the academic year of 2011/2012, which were listed as learning tools needed for thermodynamics of jigsaw type cooparative learning model. The learning tool which were being developed consist of teaching materials, learning plan, and student worksheet. The research prosedure consisted of developing the tools of teaching and learning process, and the followed by realization of learning in class using the jigsaw type cooparative learning approach. The research instruments were to be observation sheet and student response questionaire towards the learning process. The reseach data were analyzed using percentage statistic. Based on the refection result towards the action which was planned beforehand and also the researh result discussion, it was found that the learning process of hermodynamics which was done by implementing the jigsaw type cooparative learning model can increase student activity in his study. Implementing the jigsaw type cooperative learning can increase the learning result of students. Most of the students who partisipated in the thermodynamics class agree and give a positive apreciation towards the implementation of cooperative learning model. They believe that with the learning group can help them overcoming the learning deterrent. </p><p> </p>

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