scholarly journals An Investigation Into Coach Developers’ Theories in Practice, Learning, and Development on a Continuing Professional Development Course

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Mark Partington ◽  
Jimmy O’Gorman ◽  
Kenny Greenough ◽  
Ed Cope
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Iterative Approach ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Coach Learning ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Development Course

Little is known about the development of coach developers despite their importance in supporting coach learning. In response, this study explored the theories in practice of 23 English coach developers who undertook a continuing professional development course. The data were collected through semistructured interviews, focus groups, and observations of coach developers’ practice and engagement on the course. The data were analysed using a phronetic-iterative approach, with Argyris and Schön’s ideas on theories in practice, mostly espoused theories and theories-in-use, providing the primary heuristic framework. The findings identified how, before the continuing professional development course, the coach developers articulated espoused theories, but as the course progressed, there was a move to theories-in-use. This was due to their (re)constructed understanding of learning and the working environment. The findings are discussed in light of how the continuing professional development course, and tutors’ pedagogic approaches, influenced the coach developers’ knowledge and understanding. Based on these findings, it seems there is much to gain from supporting coach developers with a deconstruction and reconstruction of theories in practice.

scholarly journals Teacher Professional Development in Language-Driven CLIL: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Luis Banegas
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Salient Feature ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Teacher's Beliefs ◽  
Development Course

The professional development of and language integrated learning (CLIL) continues to be a niche in the language education literature, particularly in Latin America. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of a continuing professional development course delivered in 2018 to support language-driven CLIL implementation in state secondary schools in Argentina. Built as a case study, the investigation draws on data from one teacher collected through multiple sources for triangulation purposes. Two research questions guided the study: 1) What beliefs does a teacher have of language-driven CLIL? and 2) What are the effects of a continuing professional development course on language-driven CLIL targeted at EFL secondary school teachers? Findings show that authenticity, rather than language-content integration, is a salient feature of language-driven CLIL in this teacher’s practice. Findings also reveal that CLIL success depends on learners’ English language proficiency. Drawing on its teacher’s beliefs of CLIL, the course had an impact on the teacher’s identity as a materials developer and autonomous and critical practitioner who could theorize by reflecting on her practices and the readings provided by the course tutor.

scholarly journals The information literacy and continuous professional development practices of teachers at a Jewish Day School

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 600-627
Author(s):  
Aviel Cogan ◽  
Konstantina Martzoukou
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Day School ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Jewish Day School ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how in-service teachers within the context of an American Jewish day school perceive, practice and develop Information Literacy (IL) as a sociocultural practice and through Continuing Professional Development (CPD). A research gap exists in relation to empirical studies which examine sociocultural IL practices and the CPD learning experiences of in-service teachers within the professional environment of their work. Two emergent and compatible frameworks for investigating teachers’ IL practices and CPD in context are identified and discussed within that context: the sociocultural approach and the interactive CPD model. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted an interpretivist phenomenological perspective. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with six teachers to explore their IL experiences. Questions addressed the participants’ previous background, the working culture of the school, approaches to learning and developing new knowledge, sources and methods of obtaining work-related information, IL practices and the differences between IL and CPD practices. Findings Although teachers value the role of IL in their professional lives and they have confidence in their performance of it, they remain confounded by the IL terminology. Within the teachers’ everyday working environment, the primacy of social and embodied information and the centrality of information sharing demonstrated the social and experiential nature of learning and the significance of contextualisation to IL development. The study found IL, CPD and learning to be inseparable, as they intersected within a single, organic situated learning practice of becoming an expert in context. Originality/value This study makes valuable contributions to theory by supplying empirical evidence of sociocultural IL practices, linking the currently disparate scholarships on IL, CPD and learning and providing suggestions for future research. In addition, the study demonstrates alternative avenues for developing teachers’ IL and offers recommendations for supporting their CPD.

Learning Communities as Continuing Professional Development for Sport Coaches

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Bertram ◽  
Wade Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Coach Learning ◽  
Sport Coaches

Continuing professional development (CPD) for sport coaches has been defined as all kinds of professional learning that occurs after initial certification (Nelson et al., 2006), and includes both non-formal and informal learning situations. Despite the fact that within the past decade there has been an increasing number of studies on these learning situations, learning communities as a type of CPD have received little attention. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to share initial observations and lessons learned from creating and implementing sport coach learning communities. In addition, this paper extends the dialogue on learning community implementation and assessment. Our learning community efforts were formulated around five key guidelines: (1) Stable settings dedicated to improving instruction and learning, (2) Job-alike teams, (3) Published protocols that guide but do not prescribe, (4) Trained peer facilitators, and (5) Working on student learning goals until there are tangible gains in student learning.

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