scholarly journals Early Childhood Inclusion: A Postcolonial Analysis of Pre-Service Teachers' Professional Development and Pedagogy in Ghana

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Seyram Agbenyega ◽  
Sunanta Klibthong
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Curriculum Planning ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Cape Coast ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

The purpose of this qualitative study is to make the case for organizing teaching and learning in early childhood around the concept of inclusion rather than transmission of pedagogy through fear and domination. The study explored final-year early childhood pre-service teachers' curriculum planning and evaluation processes, professional education experiences and pedagogical practices, including teacher-child relationships in three kindergartens in Cape Coast, Ghana. A blend of critical postcolonial discursive and framework analysis of data produced three themes: ‘curriculum visibility and invisibility’, ‘children as colonized bodies' and ‘pre-service teachers as voiceless identities’. The article concludes that by clarifying and establishing a realistic postcolonial identity for teacher education, positive concepts of teaching and a new image of teachers and outcomes can emerge.

scholarly journals Secondary School Teachers’ Professional Development in Australia and Shanghai: Needs, Support, and Barriers

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110269
Author(s):  
Guangbao Fang ◽  
Philip Wing Keung Chan ◽  
Penelope Kalogeropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Scheduled Time

Using data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS; 2013), this article explores teachers’ needs, support, and barriers in their professional development. The research finds that Australian teachers expressed greater needs in information and communication technology (ICT) use and new technology training for teaching, while Shanghai teachers required more assistance to satisfy students’ individual learning and pedagogical competencies. More than 80% of Australian and Shanghai teachers received scheduled time to support their participation in professional development, whereas less than 20% of Australian and Shanghai teachers received monetary or nonmonetary support. In terms of barriers, Australian and Shanghai teachers reported two significant barriers that conflicted with their participation in professional development: “working schedule” and “a lack of incentives to take part.” This article reveals implications of the study in the design of an effective professional development program for Australian and Shanghai teachers and ends with discussing the limitations of the research and future research directions.

scholarly journals Transforming Teaching and Learning for Quality Teacher Education in Ghana: Perspectives from Selected Teacher Trainees and Stakeholders in Teacher Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Kwabena Ntim
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teacher Trainees ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Education In Ghana

This survey measured the perspectives of teacher trainees, classrooms teachers and stakeholders in teacher education regarding factors that could enhance teaching and quality teacher education in Ghana. Findings from the survey indicate that teachers’ content knowledge was considered appreciable, but more emphasis needed to be paid to cultivating critical and inquiry skills among Ghanaian teachers. Additionally, efforts were to be made in teacher education towards a more constructivists approach to teaching, with focus on student-centered teaching and attention to student diversity, as well as enhancing teacher professional development, especially in the area of academic research. Implications for policy and practice suggested among others, are that teacher education in Ghana needs a more professional development that is both data-based and standard driven, as well as collaboratively developed, as criteria to assess teacher quality and possible certification.

scholarly journals WASHBACK TO LANGUAGE TEACHERS: A REVIEW OF MODELS AND EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN AND BEYOND VIETNAM

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinh Minh Thu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Key Innovation ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

Washback, i.e., test effects on teaching and learning, has been emerging as an attractive research topic in language training and assessment for over the past 20 years for its significant implications of test validation and fairness for both policy-makers and practitioners. Presently, it deserves more Vietnamese researchers' interest in the context of the enactment of the National Foreign Language Project 2020 (extended to 2025), which puts language assessment as a key innovation requirement. Washback operates either positively or negatively; i.e. promoting or inhibiting learning. Teachers are considered the precursor in the washback mechanism. There is only one washback model on the washback effects on teachers, which is proposed by Shih (2009). This paper aims to critically browse other washback models besides Shin’s (2009) to generate a washback framework on teachers' perceptions and practices. Previous empirical washback research on teachers in and beyond Vietnam is, then, investigated in alignment with the aspects illustrated in the framework to point out achievements and gaps in the field. A qualitative approach of document analysis of over forty studies of differing types, i.e. books, dissertations and articles, has been adopted to reach the research aim. The discussion is divided into two major parts, including the washback models pertaining to teachers to scaffold a model for teachers' perceptions and practices, and the results in empirical research in terms of the aspects mentioned in the model. Findings show that washback on teachers' perceptions ranges from perceptions of the test itself, students' language ability, teaching contents and methodology to teachers' professional development. Plus, washback on teachers' practices concerns their selections of teaching contents and methodology in class as well as their involvement in professional development. The element of professional development can be considered a new light in the reviewed washback model. This has a significant meaning by raising teachers' awareness of developing themselves professionally. The current paper expects to contribute to elaborating the scenario of washback research for interested researchers, practitioners and policymakers not only in but beyond the context of Vietnam.

scholarly journals Client Analysis in Teacher Education: What Some Canadian and South African Teachers Identify as their Professional Development Needs

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Epstein
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Professional Development Needs ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

The client analysis conducted in this study explores the professional development needs of11 language teachers, five in South Africa and six in Canada. The study employs a questionnaire and interviews to discover how each teacher's background and context affects his or her perceived professional development needs. Interviews show that teacher educators cannot necessarily predict teachers' professional development needs based on their backgrounds and contexts alone. A variety of inputs from recipients over an extended time is desirable and would yield more accurate predictability of an individual's professional development needs. This would result in teacher education programs that more accurately meet a teacher's real needs.

scholarly journals Use of ICT in Teacher Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mr. Parmanand Barodiya ◽  
Mr. Saurveer Singh ◽  
Mrs. Anupam Choudhary
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Integration Of Technology ◽  
Teacher Education Institution ◽  
Do So

Professional development to incorporate ICTs into teaching and learning is an ongoing process. Teacher education curriculum needs to update this knowledge and skills as the school curriculum change. The teachers need to learn to teach with digital technologies, even though many of them have not been taught to do so. The aim of teacher training in this regard can be either teacher education in ICTs or teacher education through ICTs. A teacher‘s professional development is central to the overall change process in education. In planning the integration of technology in Teacher education it is important for teacher education, Institution to understand the knowledge and skills necessary for teachers to effectively use ICT in their instructions. Teachers need technical assistance to use and maintain technology. In this paper discuses to study of Teacher education, to know the Significance of ICT in teacher education and to provide the some Suggestions of teacher education.

scholarly journals IMPROVEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL TEACHER DEVELOPMENT IN THE SYSTEM OF POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

2016 ◽  
pp. 143-152
Author(s):  
Olena Volyarska
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Educational Innovation ◽  
Postgraduate Education ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

Comprehensive analysis of scientific studies of national and foreign scientists showed that the problem of the teachers’ professional development improvement has been represented in theoretical and practical philosophical, psychological and pedagogical science. The analysis of development of the postgraduate education tendencies, life-long professional education of adult learners, long-term scientific and pedagogical experience have revealed the relevance of research in the improving of the teachers professional development. This research has been appropriated by the increased requirements for postgraduate education and traditional approaches to the development of the teachers’ professional competences and by the necessity to cope with the existing stereotypes, changing attitudes and approaches to the teachers’ professional growth.The aim of the research is to identify the spheres of improvement for the professional development of teachers in the system of postgraduate education.The interpretation of the teachers’ professional development has been defined as an increase of their professional competence in the result of practical experience and prolonged purposeful and coordinated self-education in the conditions of formal, non-formal and informal adult education.The main directions of improvement of Ukrainian teachers’ professional development in our in-service teacher training include: 1) systematic implementation of educational innovation in postgraduate education content; 2) development of the blended forms of teacher training for providing educational possibilities for various special optional courses, trainings and seminars on full-time training conferences, consultations, participation in online conferences, electronic forums, chats on the distance remote basis; 3) creation of a system of the various modular courses and teacher trainings, which provides a clear definition, diagnosis and monitoring of professional competence components, based on a modular educational technology and which is one of the modern innovations in adult education; 4) development of partnership subject-subject interaction in in-service training, where the participants of training activities are oriented to the professional development, personal and professional growth.The results of studies have stated that a comprehensive personal training for teachers should be oriented to the development of their willingness to increase the effectiveness of the professional activities. In the further researches we consider the necessity of studying and generalization of international and national databases on the teachers’ continuous professional development.

Multimodal Narratives in Nursing Education

2019 ◽  
pp. 356-375
Author(s):  
Marília Rua ◽  
Rita M. F. Leal ◽  
Nilza Costa
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Nursing Education ◽  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Nurse Education ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

Nursing education is driven by emerging challenges of scientific, technological, and professional advances that require the use of strategies that promote students' development of critical thinking for decision making in different contexts. It also requires that teachers constantly reflect on their pedagogical practices and (re)think them using strategies that allow their enhancement. The use of multimodal narratives (MNs) can be an important tool for teachers' professional development, namely to improve their classroom practices. Given the novelty of the use of MNs in nursing education, this chapter presents an analysis concerning the experience of making a MN and how it has been reflected in the authors' pedagogical practices. With this experience, potentialities of continuing to use MNs in nurse education are explored.

Impact of Group Mentoring on the Professional Development of Early Childhood Teachers in a Shanghai Kindergarten

2020 ◽  
pp. 115-144
Author(s):  
Lingyun Lu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Group Mentoring ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Traditional Mentoring ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

This study sought to discover whether group mentoring could serve the purpose for which it is intended in an early childhood educational context. As an alternative to the traditional mentoring model, group mentoring attempts to provide as much, if not more, instructional and emotional support as traditional mentoring relationships, which we assume to be conducive to teachers' professional development in Chinese early childhood educational contexts. In addition, group mentoring facilitates communication, collaboration and mutual growth in ways that traditional mentoring lacks. It also examined whether both mentors and mentees could be involved in the mentoring process as learners and as reflective educators on their journey of professional development, including developing their reflective and research capabilities. This qualitative case study focused on the impact of group mentoring on the professional development of four teachers in a Shanghai kindergarten. Within the theoretical framework of COP (Community of Practice), it was an investigation of how the group mentoring process, an alternative to traditional models of professional development, had an impact on the teachers in a changing early childhood education context in China. This study featured in-depth individual interviews with the four teachers (two mentors and two mentees), who are in the same mentoring group, and observations of their group mentoring activities. Data was coded and analyzed qualitatively. Major themes emerged from the study: the teachers' perceptions of the model, the benefits and challenges it brings, and its influence on their relationships and identity. The study aimed to gain insight into how group mentoring, a potentially optimal model, has exerted an influence on the teachers' professional development. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and areas for future research.

Early Childhood Teacher Professional Development in Physical Education and Its Impact on Preschooler Motor Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 16-32
Author(s):  
Cristina Honrubia Montesinos ◽  
Pedro Gil-Madrona ◽  
Luisa Losada-Puente
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Teacher Professional Development ◽  
Motor Development ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

Physical education in early years makes a unique contribution to the learning experience of children and support physical, cognitive, and social development. Teacher plays an essential role, but early childhood teacher professional development remains unclear. Literature review has shown that it is influenced by individual and social factors. Teacher professional development may have an impact on student motor development in this stage. The objectives of this chapter were to study early childhood teachers' professional development in PE and to analyze the influence and impact of early childhood teachers' professional development on their students' motor development. This chapter describes the results and conclusions of two different studies which have been developed. They highlighted that the variables that affect professional development are initial training and professional development, external perception of physical education, and personal perspective. Furthermore, findings have revealed that these three variables condition their students' motor development most.

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