Improving Teaching Practices and Repertoire using the Cognitive Coaching Approach for 21st Century Teachers: A Call for Action

The teaching and learning enterprise require several inputs and a framework upon which the teacher’s practice and repertoires are put into action and one such input is cognitive coaching. It is important to note that schools that are known to be successful have a distinction and ability to enhance teaching practices, where teachers can collaborate among themselves in designing subject materials and other professional undertakings .Additionally, the ability to inform and critique each other in an honest way has a long lasting feature to ensure growth and improvement in the individual teacher and also in the ability to sustain an effective organization. This paper provides a platform upon which the construct of cognitive coaching can be examined. The paper embodies a critical analysis of chapters two, five and seven of Newell-McLymont (2015). In Chapter two, Collaboration in the classroom context is seen as a critical component in the teaching/learning environment, bringing benefits to both teachers and the students at their disposal. Collaboration has been proven to be the panacea for eliminating teacher isolation and encourages problem solving approaches. An analytic perspective on generating the cognitive coaching approach, while bearing in mind, the power of teacher networks, is the thrust of chapter five. Chapter seven in examining the cognitive approach through application presents several studies that looked at the environment and culture as essential consideration for collaborative learning. Given the benefits of cognitive coaching, the reviewers have sounded the call for this to be fully embraced especially during the COVID 19 period of crisis.

Digital tools to promote remote lesson study

PurposeThe authors propose that a digital instructional delivery format of lesson study (LS) may have the potential to amplify particular aspects of traditional, face-to-face LS.Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative case study, using data triangulation, member checking and an inductive approach to open-coding utilizing grounded theory to identify codes and themes.FindingsDigital tools promoted LS and learning, allowing for rigorous collaboration, synchronous observations, data collection and feedback, leading to deeper understanding.Research limitations/implicationsDigital tools used in the online LS process changed how instructional planning can be researched, analyzed and written collaboratively and impacted the fluidity of a lesson, the ease of observation and reflection, student engagement and the researchers' and students' ability to share ideas in real time.Practical implicationsLS can be integrated into online teacher education programs to engage students in online learning and promotes engagement, peer interaction and student voice. The use of these digital tools is not restricted just to remote instructional contexts.Social implicationsLS reduces teacher isolation, builds a collaborative community of teachers and increases instructional motivation. Educators across schools, universities or districts can integrate online LS into remote teacher education programs and online courses.Originality/valueThis study is original work that has not been published elsewhere.

Alone in the Gym: A Review of Literature Related to Physical Education Teachers and Isolation

Feelings of isolation have long been found to be experienced by many teachers, particularly by those within some specialist disciplines, including physical education (PE). The potential effects of teacher isolation are undesirable and plentiful. They include a lessening of interest in one’s work, burnout, and/or an absence of community connection. Given the uniqueness of their discipline, PE teachers may especially be impacted by the following: Their discipline is “low status” and marginalized, they are frequently both physically and psychologically isolated from their peers, and they often are one of very few PE specialists in a school. Given these sorts of unique challenges for PE teachers, the authors undertook a scoping review of literature in order to gather and provide a comprehensive and up-to-date account of peer-reviewed literature related to PE teachers and isolation, as well as offer implications for PE research and practice.

Teacher Socialization and Teacher Isolation

This study addresses teacher socialization and isolation primarily within the context of induction to the profession, workplace learning, and informal learning. Since the content of the subject is covered by fields of sociology, pedagogy, psychology, management, and organization, the concepts of induction to the profession and workplace learning were used to establish the basis for teacher socialization and isolation. How the teacher socializes influences the quality of education because socialization influences how the teacher performs his job. Increased interest in teacher training results in increased teacher quality, thereby increasing educational success. Increased interest in teacher training is accompanied by pursuit for quality in teacher training systems. Increasing teacher quality is not only related to training the teacher in preservice programs. Considering the fact that there are teachers who had received preservice training, yet started the profession prematurely, in-service learning processes are important in efforts to ensure teacher quality as well.

From Teacher Isolation to Teacher Collaboration: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Findings

<p>This study aims at: (1) reviewing the underlying causes of teacher isolation; (2) unreavelling the negative effects of isolation on teachers’ professional and personal life; (2) illustrating different modes of voluntary collaboration among teachers; (4) presenting substantive evidence is support of collaboration as an efficient mode of professional development, and (5) drawing implications for practice. Since collaboration leads to professional development and academic satisfaction, it is suggested that schools: (1) be structured in ways that maximize collaborative discussion among teachers; (2) create conditions taht are conducive to growth and development for both teachers and learners; (3) reinforce study groups which aim at making teachers reflect on their current beliefs and practices and chane them for the better; (4) move away from the once-popular teacher training courses towards teacher study groups, peer observation of teaching and mentoring, which are conducive to constructing knowledge rather than passively receiving knowledge. The review has many other clear implications for pracatitioners and other stakeholders.</p>

A CANADIAN TEACHER'S PERCEIVED AUTONOMY AND SELF-CONFIDENCE IN THE MIDST OF AN EDUCATIONAL REFORM

Autonomy is essential for teachers’ commitment, satisfaction and retention. However, teacher autonomy is consistently being reduced in the current era of reforms and the sharing of global policies. In this narrative case study, the account of one Canadian teacher (Nora) was examined in relation to how an educational reform influenced her work life in terms of her perceived autonomy and self-confidence. The relation between teacher autonomy and self-confidence was addressed, and the ramifications prompted by the fluctuations in both constructs. The findings suggest that the relationship between Nora’s perceptions of teacher’s professional autonomy and her self-confidence is complex. Nora’s self-confidence was strongly related to her perceived autonomy and the reduction of autonomy triggered significant downward spiralling, leading to isolation. Some discussion on the possible ways to help teachers break this downward spiralling is provided. Finally, this research broadens the collection of stories by teachers on challenges introduced by educational reform and gives voice to teachers suffering in isolation. Key words: educational reform, narrative inquiry, perceived self-confidence, teacher autonomy, teacher isolation.

Do beginning teachers know how to participate and interact in online discussion? Outcomes from a Victorian case study

<span>The use of online discussion has a long history in distance education and higher education generally, and has recently been proposed as a means of supporting beginning teachers as they face the challenge of being new to the profession. Often using text-based asynchronous programs, online discussion is advocated to enable teachers to interact with one another, and therefore remove teacher isolation and encourage reflective practice (Zhao &amp; Rop, 2001). This paper reports on a small scale study of 64 beginning teachers, who were asked to simulate online discussion, as a means of preparing them for later participation and interaction online. Transcripts were analysed using Henri's (1992) model of content analysis, revealing considerable one-way posts and few interactive posts. This study suggests that rather than being 'digital natives' (Prensky, 2001) these beginning teachers lacked the skills to participate and interact online.</span>