Jack C Richards' 50 Tips for Teacher Development

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack C. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Peer Observation ◽  
Reading Groups ◽  
Current State ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
On Line ◽  
Research Action

This book offers 50 practical ideas for teachers to use for professional development. The tips cover a wide range of activities that can be carried out individually or in collaboration with others, including self and peer observation, journal writing, on-line forums, classroom research, action research, team teaching, lesson review, materials review, lesson study, mentoring, peer coaching, reading groups, and workshops. Each tip is described in a 2 two-page format that gives the rational for the activity and step-by-step procedures for implementing it. The Tips can be used with both novice and more experienced teachers and are intended to provide a basis for teachers to review the current state of their professional learning and to develop and implement goals for their professional development.

scholarly journals Hastening slowly: insights about teacher development from an evaluation of courses at the WCED’s Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Meyer ◽  
Lydia Abel
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Level ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Leadership Institute ◽  
Service Training ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
The Impact

In the area of teacher professional development, South African education administrators face the challenge of reconciling two imperatives that have entirely different implications for programme time frames and budgets. On the one hand, there is an urgent need to improve the pedagogic content knowledge of many teachers to improve the overall standard of teaching and learning in the public school system. Considering the scale and urgency of the matter, centralised course-based in-service training seems to be the only affordable alternative. On the other hand, researchers have long warned that once-off course-based training on its own has limited impact on teachers’ practice, and has to be accompanied by further professional support in the school and classroom, or be abandoned in favour of more enduring professional learning communities. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has grappled with this dilemma in the Department’s various professional development initiatives for teachers, a mainstay of which is the training offered by the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI). This paper presents some of the data and findings from an external evaluation that ORT SA CAPE conducted in 2011–2012 of courses offered by the WCED at the CTLI. The hierarchy of INSET outcomes proposed by Harland and Kinder (1997) was applied to record changes in the practice of 18 teachers at eight schools. The progress of five of the teachers is discussed to illustrate the interplay between school-level factors and the experiences of individual teachers which influenced the impact of CTLI training on their teaching.

Cultivating Communities of Inclusive Practice

2017 ◽  
pp. 120-153
Author(s):  
Christina M. Curran ◽  
Becky Wilson Hawbaker
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Educational Outcome ◽  
Inclusive Practice ◽  
Learning And Change

Significant disparities in educational outcome, opportunity, and achievement endure for students with disabilities and those from culturally and linguistically diverse groups. A need for effective, responsive, and inclusive practices in schools is imperative. Educators are at the heart of providing the challenging, responsive education that each child and adolescent deserves. Professional development is the lever of change, but can or help or hinder educators in improving instructional and school practices that result in improved outcomes for all students. This chapter examines the evidence base surrounding professional development and inclusive practice. Four approaches to professional development supporting more transformative professional learning and change are featured: inquiry groups (teacher study groups and lesson study); coaching, Professional Learning Communities; and Professional Development Schools. Snapshots to practice are included with each approach to provide integrated descriptive examples of varied inclusive professional development practices.

Cultivating Communities of Inclusive Practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 906-939
Author(s):  
Christina M. Curran ◽  
Becky Wilson Hawbaker
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Educational Outcome ◽  
Inclusive Practice ◽  
Learning And Change

Significant disparities in educational outcome, opportunity, and achievement endure for students with disabilities and those from culturally and linguistically diverse groups. A need for effective, responsive, and inclusive practices in schools is imperative. Educators are at the heart of providing the challenging, responsive education that each child and adolescent deserves. Professional development is the lever of change, but can or help or hinder educators in improving instructional and school practices that result in improved outcomes for all students. This chapter examines the evidence base surrounding professional development and inclusive practice. Four approaches to professional development supporting more transformative professional learning and change are featured: inquiry groups (teacher study groups and lesson study); coaching, Professional Learning Communities; and Professional Development Schools. Snapshots to practice are included with each approach to provide integrated descriptive examples of varied inclusive professional development practices.

Unpacking dimensions of immersion teacher educator identity

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisling Leavy ◽  
Mairéad Hourigan ◽  
T. J. Ó Ceallaigh
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Professional Identities ◽  
Immersion Education ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Study Methodology

Abstract Inadequate teacher preparation for immersion programs remains a challenge. While there is a significant dearth of research on teacher development in immersion education, research focusing on immersion teacher educators (ITEs) is even more scant. Using self-study methodology, this study explores the professional learning and experiences of three teacher educators (TEs) as they construct new professional identities as ITEs as part of engagement in Lesson Study. The paper particularly focuses on two Mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) who were newcomers to the immersion education setting. A community of practice (CoP) framework was utilised to provide insights into what Vygotsky (1987) terms the twisting path of all three TEs as they engaged in the CoP. Critical moments of defending content as priority, negotiating an integrated space, and becoming immersion-responsive were revealed. CoP played a vital role in facilitating new professional identities and illuminates in multiple ways the exclusive and complex process of becoming an ITE.

scholarly journals Secondary School Mathematics Teachers’ Professional Learning in a Lesson Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 2-27
Author(s):  
Adriana Richit ◽  
Mauri Luís Tomkelski
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
School Context ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Public Network

Background: Lesson study is an innovative professional development process, originated from Japan, that is important to know if it may be applicable in other cultural contexts. Objective: This paper analyses professional learning of mathematic teachers involved in lesson study. Design: Qualitative and interpretative research, using participant observation. Setting and participants: The participants are seventeen mathematics teachers of secondary school at the teaching public network of Rio Grande do Sul State. Data collection and analysis: Research’s empirical material consist of field notes produced in the context of lesson study sessions, teachers’ textual productions systematized in their logbooks, audio recordings of the research lesson and debriefing session. Results: The results highlight that teachers’ participation in lesson study provided them professional learning related to deepening of the curricular content to teach at classroom, as well about teaching resources to teach mathematics topics and also about the collaborative work in the school context, the reflection on professional practices and about the teacher’s education approaches prevalent in the educative settings. Conclusions: The study suggests that lesson study is a powerful professional development process both regarding mathematics teaching and professional culture.

What Counts as Quality Teaching?

2016 ◽  
pp. 366-385
Author(s):  
Moira Hulme
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Quality Teaching ◽  
System A ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Professional Development Of Teachers ◽  
National Comparison

The professional development of teachers has attracted much critical attention in each of the four nations of the United Kingdom since 2010. This chapter offers a ‘home international' comparison of policies to support the initial qualification and continuing education of teachers in the period following political devolution. A rationale is offered for cross-national comparison in this small and closely linked system. A comparison is offered of routes into teaching and the teachers' Standards in order to explicate divergent models of professionalism. By comparing policies across the Anglo-Celtic isles debate on the distinctive contribution of higher education to professional learning is enabled. Tensions are acknowledged within a policy ensemble that seeks to promote research excellence and teacher development.

Practicing lesson study in a Turkish education context

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-78
Author(s):  
Ferhan Karabuğa ◽  
Gülden Ilin
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Personal Reflections ◽  
Turkish Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to touch upon the unaddressed points regarding the practice of lesson study (LS) in the field of language teacher development in a Turkish education context by considering the challenges faced and observed by the EFL teachers, their suggestions to design a process like LS practice and benefits that LS practice could provide them in terms of teaching and professional development. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on the data from five EFL teachers’ collaborative work in an arrangement of lesson and learning study and from the researcher’s observations during meetings and discussions throughout the process. The data consist of interviews with participant teachers (pre and post), video recordings of the teacher workshops, field notes of the researcher and video recordings of the research lessons. The analysis was carried out through content analysis beginning with listing the responses of participants, identifying the frequency of citations, collecting similar responses under a common category to determine the categories and at last placing codes into the related categories. Findings The results show that the teachers had some concerns about LS practice both before and after practicing the model in the study context. They stated their concerns mostly about time, increasing responsibility and effort, being a demanding process. However, the practice seemed to meet their expectations, lead to improvements in knowledge, teaching practices and perspectives, contribute to the personal and professional development of teachers and triggered enthusiasm and a desire for students to participate actively in learning process. Originality/value This paper serves as an explicit example of LS practice with its plus and minuses in a Turkish education context as teachers’ views and the researcher’s personal reflections in the current study can guide the process of change and provide evidence and practical suggestions on the feasibility of the program for the ones attempting to experience it. Besides, the teachers’ perceptions and suggestions regarding LS practice in the present study can enable other teachers, organizers of professional development programs and the researchers an opportunity to lead future practices.

scholarly journals Teacher Professional Development in Singapore: Depicting the Landscape

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo BAUTISTA ◽  
Joanne WONG ◽  
Saravanan GOPINATHAN
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Centers Of Excellence ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Different Levels

ABTRACT: This article depicts the landscape of teacher professional development (PD) in Singapore, one of the world’s top-performing countries in education. We provide an overview of the resources available to the approximately 30,000 teachers within the 350 primary and secondary schools run by the Ministry of Education (MOE). We focus on the three main PD providers: the National Institute of Education, the Academy of Singapore Teachers and six Centers of Excellence, and schools themselves. Guided by the “Teacher Growth Model,” these providers aim at making PD coherent with teachers’ interests, the needs of schools, and the national curriculum. Teachers in Singapore are given the exceptionally high allotment of 100 voluntary hours of PD per year. There are multiple types of activities teachers can engage in, ranging from formal/structured courses and programs to more informal/reform-based initiatives (action research, lesson study). Teachers with different levels of expertise and career paths have access to different PD opportunities. Most PD is subject-specific and provides teachers with opportunities for networked learning, collegial sharing, and collaboration. In fact, all MOE schools have been recently mandated to become Professional Learning Communities (PLC). We conclude that this comprehensive set of PD resources, considered as a whole, presents the features of “high-quality” PD described in the international literature. However, we suggest that more research is needed to examine the extent to which such an ambitious PD model is enhancing teachers’ knowledge and pedagogies, and ultimately students’ learning.

scholarly journals Active Learning and Teacher Training: Lesson Study and Professional Learning Communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoko Ishii
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
The University

Active learning is an innovation of teaching and learning and strongly connected to teacher education reform. A teacher’s role in a knowledge-based society is being shifted from a knowledge teller to a facilitator. It is diï¬cult to shift a teacher’s perspective from “how to teach” to “how students learn.” However, through a collaborative lesson study, teachers can discuss students’ learning in a classroom. The university can function as a facilitator to cultivate a professional learning community. This paper discusses the practice of active learning in teacher training at the University of Fukui in Japan. The faculty provides active learning for prospective teachers to engage collaboratively in scientific inquiry using physics by inquiry. Based on the viewpoint that teacher development is a continuous, lifelong process, and the teacher is a reï¬ective practitioner, teacher training should also be an active, lifelong endeavor. Moreover, the system and structure of the lesson study and collaborative reï¬ection promote a professional learning community. Both pre-service and in-service teachers develop pedagogical content knowledge through repeated practice and reï¬ection.

scholarly journals "She didn't know much about English teaching": planning classes together in the teachers' room as a practice of professional development

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-78
Author(s):  
Simone Sarmento ◽  
William Kirsch
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
South Of Brazil ◽  
The Coordinator

This paper is a part of a larger research project, which focused on investigating the teacher development practices in a Languages without Borders community of a large university in the south of Brazil. The research is affiliated with the paradigm of Practice Theory (Young, 2009; Young, 2010) and relied on qualitative methods of data generation and analysis (Erickson, 1990; Gumperz, 2005; Mason, 2002; Tannen, 2014), as well as on semistructured interviews with focal participants. The data revealed that the practices that culminate in teacher development could be divided into two: (1) formal practices, that is, the ones consciously planned and carried out by the coordinator; and (2) informal ones, that is, practices that emerged from everyday life in this community of practice, chiefly in the teachers' room. In this paper, we focus on a specific informal practice - that of planning classes together. Planning classes together was considered a productive practice in terms of professional learning both in the interviews and in the data obtained through participant observation.

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