scholarly journals Strengthening career adaptation among school teachers in Pakistan: Test of strengths-based career intervention imparted through emotionalized learning experiences

Author(s):  
Zane Asher Green
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoyuan Sang ◽  
Jun Zhou ◽  
Abdulghani Muthanna

PurposeThis qualitative study aimed to explore how the school–university partnership (SUP) enhances the elementary teachers' professional development in a school-based setting.Design/methodology/approachBy following the qualitative case study methodology, this case study employs semi-structured interviews (the authors designed) with 10 school teachers and administrators. The authors adapted the iterative process analysis (Miles and Huberman, 1984) for compiling, coding, annotating the data and interpreting the interview transcripts. The authors also used the member checking technique that establishes credibility in a qualitative study (Lincoln and Guba, 1985) with six participants.FindingsThe findings suggest that participating in a series of professional learning activities led to the enhancement of teachers' and administrators learning experiences in view of educational theories, action research abilities, teaching efficiency, teaching research capacities and improvement of school guidelines. Further, they reveal that the participants' expectations for future SUP collaborations centred on realizing the sustainability and effectiveness of collaborations, and autonomy of teachers.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of the current study include its focus on a single SUP within one school and the reliance on data collected only by interviews during the SUP process. This study offers implications for teacher learning within SUP collaborations. First, schools should consider how to involve and influence all teachers rather than SUP core members only. To this end, authentic professional learning communities need to be constructed. Second, universities should pay much more attention to the professional development of their faculty members towards integration of theoretical knowledge and practical experiences.Originality/valueThis original study explores practical ways of improving teachers' theoretical and practical teaching practices/experiences through SUP projects, and contributes new knowledge to the teaching professional development of school teachers and administrators.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
S. O. Essuman

<p class="2M-body">This paper looks at the reflective learning experiences of primary school teachers, who were encouraged to engage in reflective activities as a way of improving their pedagogical practice during the use of Open Educational Resources (OER). The assumption of the study was that OERs have the potential to improve teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and skills, as well as their networking and collaborative activities and impact on their professional practice. Ten (10) out of forty-two (42) primary school teachers, who participated in a training workshop focused on the use of OER, were purposively sampled to keep a reflective journal of their learning experiences and share the outcomes with their colleagues. Interviews were used in collecting data from the cohort. Using phenomenology as a methodology and content analysis as a tool for analyzing the data collected, the ‘stories’ of these teachers were analyzed manually and presented in a report at a seminar. The findings indicated that teachers acknowledged the added values that OER have had on their pedagogical practice; the influence that the new knowledge and skills have had on students' learning and the enthusiasm that students exhibited when active learning strategies were used in teaching. However, the reflective learning elements that teachers were expected to exhibit in their writing were lacking. The deep thinking and learning from their critical analysis of their experiences were not evident in their responses. It is recommended that sessions on reflective teaching, learning and writing should be incorporated into pre- and in-service teachers' training sessions. Skill building in reflective writing and learning should be introduced to teachers early in practice and during training for them to build the culture of reflection in teaching.</p>


Author(s):  
Brandi Wade Worsham

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss a multi-case study on how middle school teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. The aim of the study was to explore how teachers made sense of and gave meaning to their learning experiences that occurred during the school day as they engaged in the work of being a teacher. Job-embedded learning experiences referred to any formal or informal learning opportunity that was grounded in the context of the school day and characterized by active learning and reflection. This chapter includes a detailed overview of the literature on effective professional development and the characteristics of job-embedded learning as each relates to the middle school context; the background and significance of the study; a description of the research design, methods, and procedures; a discussion of the research findings and subsequent implications for educators; and suggestions and recommendations for practice and future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Salifu Maigari Mohammed ◽  
Kwaku Darko Amponsah

This study sought to examine whether junior high school teachers’ attitudes are enabling or disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. We used concurrent triangulation mixed methods design involving surveys and multiple case studies to collect quantitative and qualitative data. We sampled 308 integrated science teachers and a subsample of 18 teachers from junior high schools in urban and rural areas. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were satisfactory for research. Credibility and dependability of the semi-structured interview schedule were also sufficient. Findings suggest that most junior high school teachers in the study context hold weak unfavourable attitudes that are disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings also suggest that the combination of societal subjective norms, perceived context dependency, and weak unfavourable attitudes of most junior high school teachers adversely influence their intentions and behaviours toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings further suggest that most teachers in the study context developed weak unfavourable attitudes partly because they never had inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences when they were students. Again, the teachers developed weak general attitudes toward science teaching partly because most science teaching and learning experiences they had were in specific subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics instead of general (integrated) science. We recommend frequent attitude-focused inquiry-based science in-service trainings for junior high school teachers. We also recommend reforms in education that engages preservice teachers in attitude-focused inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Ginsberg

Abstract This qualitative study examined student perceptions regarding a hybrid classroom format in which part of their learning took place in a traditional classroom and part of their learning occurred in an online platform. Pre-course and post-course anonymous essays suggest that students may be open to learning in this context; however, they have specific concerns as well. Students raised issues regarding faculty communication patterns, learning styles, and the value of clear connections between online and traditional learning experiences. Student concerns and feedback need to be addressed through the course design and by the instructor in order for them to have a positive learning experience in a hybrid format course.


2000 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 227-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee-Ann Prideaux ◽  
Peter A. Creed ◽  
Juanita Muller ◽  
Wendy Patton

Despite widespread acknowledgement of the importance of career development programs to assist students in their complex transition from school to work, very few specific career education interventions have been objectively evaluated. The aim of this paper is to highlight what the authors consider to be a conspicuous shortfall in the career development literature to date, that is, reports of methodologically sound career intervention studies carried out in actual high school settings. International trends in the world of work are briefly discussed in association with the repercussions these changes are producing for today's youth. The major portion of this article is devoted to a comprehensive review of career intervention studies with particular attention paid to the methodological and theoretical issues that resonate from this review process. Recommendations for future research are proposed.


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