Reflection of the Editorial Process of an Academic Journal

Relay Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 100-109
Author(s):  
Phillip A. Bennett ◽  
Maria Giovanna Tassinari ◽  
Ena Hollinshead ◽  
Fergal Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Editorial Process ◽  
Academic Journal ◽  
Editing Process ◽  
Insight Into

This paper is a reflection on our experiences as managing editors and layout editors of volume 2, issue 2 of Relay Journal. In accordance with the developmental aims of Relay Journal, via this reflective practice, our motivations are not only to foster each others’ learner autonomy and grow our professional development, but additionally to encourage others to also share reflections of their editing responsibilities, practices, and realisations. We also believe this will provide insight into the process for those who do not have the experience in such roles, yet wish to pursue them. With that in mind, we will briefly detail the journal-editing process and our roles in such; then follow with our individual reflections upon our experiences. Our reflections will focus on our responsibilities and roles, our feelings, and what we learned through the experience.

Introduction to the Column: Reflective Practice

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 42-44
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Transformational Learning ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Core ◽  
Philosophical Background ◽  
Thinking Process

Welcome to the third reflective practice column. The second column of Reflective Practice in Advising in Volume 2(1) focused on advisors’ professional development through reflective dialogues. In particular, it disseminated fruitful ideas for ongoing mentoring sessions among new advising professionals. The necessity of peer-supported advisor training has been discussed not only to acquire a set of advising skills but also a philosophical background (e.g. Kato, 2012; Mozzon-McPherson, 2003) to effectively support learner autonomy. The prominence of professional development through intentionally-structured reflection with others is also remarked as the core of changing a thinking process or an existing belief, which leads to transformational learning (Argyris & Schön, 1974; Brockbank, McGill, 2006; Kato, 2012).

Reflective Practice in Advising: Introduction to the Column

Relay Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 293-295
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Great Success ◽  
Global Community ◽  
Potential Growth ◽  
Community Of Learning ◽  
Reflection On Action

Welcome to the second reflective practice column where we are pleased to share another series of active advisors’ voices with our professional community. The first column of Reflective Practice in Advising in Volume 1(1) became a prelude for creating a global community of learning advisors with the aim of building a platform to share our professional development experiences and further seek opportunities for growth. As in Issue 1, in this issue of Relay Journal, all the contributors are engaged in a different advising context with various sociocultural backgrounds, but each of the case studies illustrates how their reflective practice enables learning advisors to continue exploring potential growth at any point in their career. In other words, the journey of becoming a learning advisor is ever-lasting, as long as the learning advisor is willingly seeking an opportunity for transformative learning. The post-publication reflective dialogues in Issue 1, although experimental, were a great success. They triggered active discussions among learning advisors, which lead to further reflection-on-action and reflection-for-action (Farrell, 2015) among the contributors. These open and collaborative dialogues across the sociocultural boundaries exemplify professional development for learning advisors.

Editorial

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 251-256
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Service Professional ◽  
Research Institute

We are excited to present you Volume 2 Issue 2 of Relay Journal published by the Research Institute of Learner Autonomy Education at Kanda University (KUIS), Japan. The Relay Journal aims to foster a dialogue spanning the globe discussing topics related to learner autonomy. This issue of Relay Journal is dedicated to teacher and advisor education for learner autonomy. The topic is particularly important, since –– apart from some exceptions –– autonomy is not always integrated into curricula for teacher education, and in addition, very few programmes exist for advisor education. Therefore, it is crucial to include opportunities for in-service professional development and reflection on how to foster autonomy and how to support language learners as teachers or as advisors. This can be done in the form of teacher training, mentoring and/or tutoring programmes, action-research, or reflection in- and on-practice.

Survey Research and Analysis of the Educational Program „Office Business and Documentation Management“, Based on the Content of Module I.: Professional Training in the Croatian State Archives

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-305
Author(s):  
Lana Žaja ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Survey Research ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
State Archives ◽  
Insight Into

The article provides a survey of conducted educational programs „Office administration and records management", based on the content of module I. of the professional training in the Croatian State Archives (hereinafter referred to as HDA), which were held in the period from February 2016 to February 2019. The reason for choosing this exact period lies in the fact that since February 2016 a systematic distribution of anonymous polls to all the participants has begun and those polls have served as a basis for creating a compilation of statistical reports and analysis of data obtained from them. Anonymous polls were first experimentally distributed to participants in November 2015, and they were computer processed to serve as a model of experimentally conducted research based on the content of the module I of professional development in HDA. Survey research covers a period of 36 months, in which 10 courses in the period from February 2016 to February 2019 were held, with a total of 417 participants from all over Croatia. This article is conceptually structured according to the methodology which deals with survey research with a help of statistical methods, and the obtained results aim to improve the quality of teaching, to complete teaching materials and improve the insight into the final outcome of the course and the competencies that participants acquire at the end of the course.

scholarly journals Teachers Who Reflect, Teach Better: Reflective Practice at The Heart of Teachers’ Professional Development Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-227
Author(s):  
Zuraimi Zakaria ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Teaching Improvement ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
The Relationship

While there is a significant amount of research and literature to explain the role of reflective practice in teaching, there is little research that reported the extent of such practice on classroom instructions and its spill effects on student learning outcomes. For this reason, this paper looks at the magnitude of reflective practice in shaping classroom instructions and how it facilitates for better student performance within the context of teachers’ professional development (PD) programs. Hence, the focus of the paper is two-fold: examining teachers’ PD programs that promoted reflective practice; and the relationship between reflective practice and student performance. The discussion on teachers’ reflective practice is timely. In particular, with the growing educational research and increasing body of evidence that pointed towards PD as having a significant influence on student achievement (Achinstein & Athanases, 2006; Fullan, 1990; Little, 2001). In addition, most PD efforts focused on teacher collaboration as a strategy for teaching improvement and eventually better academic performance of the students (Achinstein & Athanases, 2006). Many educators (Fendler, 2003; Loughran, 2002; Schon, 1983; Walkington, 2005) viewed reflective practice as situated at the heart of PD programs that sought teachers to examine their practice for improvement. This paper assists policy makers and education reformists in re-examining their PD efforts in targeting for variables that matter.

scholarly journals Measuring the efficacy and quality of a professional development training on prejudice reduction and reflective practice: Transforming the delivery of change through collective insight and informed action.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berdine Gordon-Littréan
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Prejudice Reduction ◽  
Professional Development Training ◽  
Sustained Change

<div>This study explored the observed impact of the professional development training on agency employees and disposition toward sustained change in prejudice reduction in their applied practice over a period time.</div>

scholarly journals Exploring EFL Instructors’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Reflective Practices on their Professional Development in the Saudi Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Danyah Fahad Alsayeud ◽  
Anas Hamed Almuhammadi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Reflective Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Males And Females

This study explores the perceptions of EFL instructors about their reflective practice and its effect on their professional development in a Saudi Arabian university. This study adopts an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Two study instruments were used; a survey questionnaire with a study sample of 100 male and female participants and semi-structured interviews with a study sample of seven female instructors. The findings show that some instructors in general have a positive perception of reflective practices and they utilize a diversity of reflective tools. Female instructors show a greater degree of involvement in a reflective practice than male instructors in three of the four examined dimensions (cognitive and meta-cognitive, moral and learner and reflective teaching in general). However, no significant difference is reported between males’ and females’ perceptions in terms of the fourth dimension (practical). Based on the findings, recommendations have been made to encourage reflective practices in the Saudi EFL context.

Tertiary EFL Practitioners’ Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Professional Development in the Area of Assessment and Testing–An Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 17-32
Author(s):  
Muhammad Wasim Latif ◽  
Arzoo Wasim
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Beliefs ◽  
Teacher Practices ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Educational Institute ◽  
Assessment And Testing ◽  
Teachers Training ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes ◽  
Insight Into

Professional development of teachers, the greatest strength of any educational institute, implies advancement of pedagogical, assessment and success standards. All teacher education activities whether during the pre-or/and in-service phases, should aim to bring about teacher change which refers to the procedures targeting reform in teacher beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, self-awareness, skills and practices. Since teacher beliefs and attitudes serve as an integral part of the process to comprehend how teachers conceptualise, approach and practice their work, change in teacher practices generally precede a change in teacher beliefs and attitudes. In the background of the paucity of scholarship about tertiary EFL practitioners’ beliefs and attitudes about their professional development, in general, and in assessment, testing and evaluation, in particular, the present study mainly based on interview data collected from 10 tertiary EFL teachers working in three tertiary educational institutes in Saudi Arabia aimed at exploring tertiary EFL practitioners’ philosophies and attitudes towards their PD in assessment and testing to get better insight into language teachers’ training needs. It is hoped that the findings of the study will create awareness among novice as well as experienced teachers and help their respective institutions in having better understanding about the various dynamics of teacher PD in assessment and testing.

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