Calibrating Professional Learning Approaches for Teachers in Inclusive Classrooms in the Context of Implementation Science

Author(s):  
Michael Arthur-Kelly

In educational systems, schools, and classrooms, the interface among professional learning approaches and the translation and sustained uptake of research-led inclusive practices needs systematic and sustained attention. A range of variables exist with respect to the complexity of adopting leading, evidence-led practices in actual classroom and school settings. These may include teacher effects, diverse student needs, and limited opportunity for the meaningful analysis of relevant research to practice literature. Similarly, in the larger context of educational systems and processes of change, inhibitors and facilitators are encountered when introducing and sustaining innovative professional learning and changed practices in typical diverse schools. An aspirational model of professional learning for inclusive practices that is informed by the tenets of modern implementation science and cross-cultural perspectives will assist in defining future directions in this area from both an empirical and a heuristic perspective.

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (05) ◽  
pp. 641-645
Author(s):  
Ajay Kohli ◽  
Samantha Castillo ◽  
Uma Thakur ◽  
Avneesh Chhabra

AbstractMusculoskeletal (MSK) radiologists are predominantly consultants in the service departments of health care. Unlike the manufacturing industry, quality controls are difficult to institute in a service industry and more variability is expected. Structured reporting is a unique way to institute quality standards, and by using the checklist approach with uniform terminology, it can lead to more homogeneity and consistency of reporting, concise lexicon use within and across practices, minimization of errors, enhancement of divisional and departmental branding, improvement of interdisciplinary communications, and future data mining. We share our experience from more than a decade of structured reporting in the domain of MSK radiology, our practice standards, and how reporting has evolved in our MSK practice. Further discussions include future directions aided by machine learning approaches with augmented reality and the possibility of virtual fellowship and training using consistent lexicons and structured reporting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brahm Norwich

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine variations within lesson study (LS) practices and their connections with related traditions: teacher research/enquiry approaches, professional development models, professional learning communities and group problem-solving approaches. Questions are addressed about the relationships between different professional learning approaches in terms of definitions and frameworks. Design/methodology/approach Academic databases and website sources were searched in a purposive way to identify 20 practices associated with these traditions for comparative analysis. Findings A conceptual framework consisting of eight dimensions was constructed to account for the variations within and between these professional learning traditions: for instance, about the settings in which the practices take place, the purposes of the practices and the specific procedures involved. By illustrating how specific practices fitted within this framework it is concluded that the variations within the LS tradition are wide enough to make it difficult to identify a set of necessary and sufficient features of LS to distinguish LS practices from the other non-LS professional learning practices. Reasons are also given for considering whether a polythetic type of definition of professional learning/development practices might be constructed. Research limitations/implications The possibility for a more systematic review of professional learning approaches for the construction of a conceptual framework is discussed. Practical implications Ways in which this kind of conceptualisation can be useful in promoting clarity about professional learning practices and in developing these practices are discussed. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the construction of a conceptual framework to analyse similarities and differences within and between various professional learning traditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Small ◽  
Rebecca A. Thessin ◽  
William R. Dardick

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore how the Advanced Placement Summer Institute (APSI) supported Advanced Placement (AP) teacher's instructional needs considering the expansion of the AP program in recent decades.Design/methodology/approachA survey including Likert-style and open-ended questions was distributed to participants at one East Coast APSI to gather data, which were analyzed quantitatively. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the Likert items to identify latent constructs, and two logistic regression (LR) models were run to predict what features of the professional development (PD) improved teacher perception of APSI. Open-ended constructs were analyzed by identifying and describing common themes.FindingsThe findings indicated that APSI improved teachers' perceived content knowledge and pedagogy and improved teachers' perceptions of their ability to better support student achievement, but that more focused professional learning was needed in working with academically diverse student learners in AP courses.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to analysis of perception of teachers who attended one APSI training site, making it difficult to generalize without repeated measures.Originality/valueThis is the only multidisciplinary study connecting literature on effective PD to an analysis of the effectiveness of APSI for AP teachers.


Author(s):  
Nathan Lau ◽  
Lex Fridman ◽  
Brett J. Borghetti ◽  
John D. Lee

As machine learning approaches ubiquity in industrial systems and consumer products, human factors research must attend to machine learning, specifically on how intelligent systems built on machine learning are different from early generations of automated systems, and what these differences mean for human-system interaction, design, evaluation and training. This panel invites five researchers in different domains to discuss how human factors can contribute to machine learning research and applications, as well as how machine learning presents both challenges and contributions for human factors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 1063-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kylie Lipscombe ◽  
Sharon Tindall-Ford ◽  
Peter Grootenboer

Increasingly, educational systems are appreciating the importance of middle leaders leading educational improvement in schools. Schools depend on middle leaders to lead site-based educational development in areas including curriculum development, teacher professional learning and student learning improvement. Middle leaders are in a unique but complex position where they influence both executive leadership and teachers within the school organisation. Adopting case study methodology to investigate the practices and influence of middle leaders leading a school-based educational development project, three semi-structured interviews and artefacts from two middle leaders were collected over eight months. The theory of practice architectures afforded an examination of data to explain the conditions and arrangements enabling and constraining the middle leaders’ practices of influence. The findings showed middle leaders’ influence was dependent on executive leadership support, time, formal role descriptions and trusting relationship. Furthermore, the results reveal middle leaders can influence educational development at the school level through advocating for, collaborating with, and empowering colleagues to support teacher ownership of site-based projects. Of interest, this study showed influence can be reciprocal, between middle leaders and colleagues, and between middle leaders and executive leadership.


Information ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Kamińska ◽  
Tomasz Sapiński ◽  
Sławomir Wiak ◽  
Toomas Tikk ◽  
Rain Haamer ◽  
...  

In the education process, students face problems with understanding due to the complexity, necessity of abstract thinking and concepts. More and more educational centres around the world have started to introduce powerful new technology-based tools that help meet the needs of the diverse student population. Over the last several years, virtual reality (VR) has moved from being the purview of gaming to professional development. It plays an important role in teaching process, providing an interesting and engaging way of acquiring information. What follows is an overview of the big trend, opportunities and concerns associated with VR in education. We present new opportunities in VR and put together the most interesting, recent virtual reality applications used in education in relation to several education areas such as general, engineering and health-related education. Additionally, this survey contributes by presenting methods for creating scenarios and different approaches for testing and validation. Lastly, we conclude and discuss future directions of VR and its potential to improve the learning experience.


2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 503-520
Author(s):  
Allison Ringer ◽  
Michael Volkov ◽  
Kerrie Bridson

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role Australian University marketing students’ cultural backgrounds play in their learning and their perceptions of assessment and explores whether current assessments appropriately address the differing needs of a culturally diverse student population. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a qualitative approach utilising five focus groups, each comprised of 12 students. Findings – Results indicate learning environments, learning and assessment approaches and assessment tasks each bring their own benefits, constraints and challenges to studying in a culturally diverse environment. Principles are presented for adoption by marketing educators in order to foster a vibrant, inclusive learning environment which meets the educational needs and wants of a culturally diverse student cohort. Research limitations/implications – The number of students representing different global regions or countries limited this study. With the exception of students from Australia and the Asian region, there were minimal students representing other cultural backgrounds despite every attempt being made to be culturally inclusive across global regions. Practical implications – The paper presents the principles of C.U.L.T.U.R.E. and recommends their integration into learning approaches and assessment practices across Schools and Faculties at the tertiary level. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study a culturally diverse student cohort's perceptions and attitudes towards learning approaches and assessment practices and their perceived relevance to the provision of core graduate business and generic skills necessary for employability in the global marketplace.


Author(s):  
Cathryn MacCallum ◽  
Insiya Salam

The implementation of global education in schools has, despite the plethora of differenttermsusedtodescribeit, beendefinedbyanapproachthatensuresglobal issuesareembedded(1)inthecurriculum(asubject-specificapproach),(2)across all subject areas (an interdisciplinary approach), and (3) in the school's ethos (a 'whole-school approach'). The means by which each of these three approaches has been implemented, however, have been far less cohesive. This paper will argue that one potential tool is extending the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model to focus on the global (i.e.creating a Global Professional Learning Community [GPLC], also known as a Networked Learning Community). We suggest that this form of collaborative working is a vital tool in creating effective policy and shared practice for global learning. Moreover, its methods incorporate the key values of the global learning ethos: participation, inclusion, and critical and creative thinking. The paper explores this premise through the analysis of Sazani Associates' GPLC, established over a period of ten years and incorporating approximately 40 schools in both Wales and Zanzibar. It focuses on how the GPLC has developed through peer exchange, skill sharing, continuous professional development, and a critical learning approach to evaluation in both localities. This paper explores how this GPLC contributes to the quality of education from a Northern and Southern perspective, and how it counters the tension between the aims of global learning approaches and their more prescriptive means. It also considers the role of critical reflection in measuring a transformative approach to learning, where both educators and pupils are able to explore the global in a structured yet holistic way.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panayiotis Angelides ◽  
Eleni Antoniou

Over the last few years, there has been considerable debate regarding the ways in which the different educational systems in the world should develop more inclusive practices in their schools. An important aspect of this discussion revolves around the question of what schools can do to become more inclusive in terms of maximizing the participation of all children in their cultures, curricula, and communities. The Cyprus educational system, in responding to international developments, has made certain efforts to provide equal educational opportunities. These initiatives are undertaken centrally by the Ministry of Education and Culture without paying much attention to individual schools, their cultures, and the relations between schools and their communities. Given these efforts, this study examined how school cultures influence the development of inclusive practices, using case study in a rural primary school in Cyprus with 115 students, and through the analysis of our data, we spotted certain elements of the school's culture that contributed to the success of inclusive education. The provided examples, as well as the way that the leaders led the school under investigation toward an inclusive culture, might be helpful for educators in other contexts who struggle to develop inclusive schools.


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