Academic literature on the topic 'High school teachers In-service training Victoria'

ABSTRACT: Teacher performance has been the focus of educational policy reforms in recent decades for the professional development of teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of teaching experience and peer teaching skills on basic training on ECE teacher performance. This research uses ex-post facto quantitative method of comparative analysis and design by level. The population is all ECE teachers who attend basic-level education and training in Tangerang Regency, totaling 3358 people consisting of 116 male teachers and 3,242 female teachers. Data collection techniques using a questionnaire with data analysis include descriptive analysis. Requirements test analysis and inferential analysis. The results show that there are differences in the performance of ECE teachers between teachers with more than five years of teaching experience and less than five years, in the group of ECE teachers with high peer teaching skills and low peer teaching skills. The implication of this research is that it is hoped that various parties will become more active in aligning ECE teacher training so that it can improve the performance of ECE teachers. Keywords: teaching experience, peer teaching ability, tiered basic training, ECE teacher performance References: Adeyemi, T. (2008). Influence of Teachers’ Teaching Experience on Students’ Learning Outcomes in Secondary Schools in Ondo State, Nigeria. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences, 5(1), 9–19. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajesms.v5i1.38609 Ahmad, N. J., Ishak, N. A., Samsudin, M. A., Meylani, V., & Said, H. M. (2019). Pre-service science teachers in international teaching practicum: Reflection of the experience. Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 8(3), 308–316. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v8i3.18907 Andrin, G. R., Etcuban, J. O., Watin, A. K. O., Maluya, R., Rocha, E. D. V, & Maulit, A. A. (2017). Professional Preparation and Performance of Preschool Teachers in the Public and Private Schools of Cebu City, Philippines. ACADEME, 10. Andrin, Glenn R, Etcuban, J. O., Watin, A. K. O., Maluya, R., Rocha, E. D. V, & Maulit, A. A. (2017). Professional Preparation and Performance of Preschool Teachers in the Public and Private Schools of Cebu City, Philippines. ACADEME, 10. Armytage, P. (2018). Review of the Victorian Institute of Teaching. Bichi, A. A. (2019). Evaluation of Teacher Performance in Schools: Implication for Sustainable Evaluation of Teacher Performance in Schools: Implication for Sustainable Development Goals. December 2017. Campolo, M., Maritz, C. A., Thielman, G., & Packel, L. (2013). An Evaluation of Peer Teaching Across the Curriculum: Student Perspectives. International Journal of Therapies and Rehabilitation Research, 2(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.5455/ijtrr.00000016 Clearinghouse, W. W. (2018). National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification. Colthart, I., Bagnall, G., Evans, A., Allbutt, H., Haig, A., Illing, J., & McKinstry, B. (2008). The effectiveness of self-assessment on the identification of learner needs, learner activity, and impact on clinical practice: BEME Guide no. 10. Medical Teacher, 30(2), 124–145. Darling-Hammond, L. (2011). Teacher quality and student achievement. Teacher Quality and Student Achievement, 8(1), 1–215. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v8n1.2000 Donaldson, M. L. (2009). So long, Lake Wobegon? Using teacher evaluation to raise teacher quality. Center for American Progress, 1–32. Fogaça, N., Rego, M. C. B., Melo, M. C. C., Armond, L. P., & Coelho, F. A. (2018). Job Performance Analysis: Scientific Studies in the Main Journals of Management and Psychology from 2006 to 2015. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 30(4), 231–247. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21248 Frye, E. M., Trathen, W., & Koppenhaver, D. A. (2010). Internet workshop and blog publishing: Meeting student (and teacher) learning needs to achieve best practice in the twenty-first-century social studies classroom. The Social Studies, 101(2), 46–53. Hanushek, E. A. (2011). The economic value of higher teacher quality. Economics of Education Review, 30(3), 466–479. Heryati, Y., & Rusdiana, A. (2015). Pendidikan Profesi Keguruan. Bandung: CV Pustaka Setia. John P. Papay Eric S. Taylor John H. Tyler Mary Laski. (2016). Learning Job Skills From Colleagues At Work: Evidence From A Field Experiment Using Teacher Performance Data (p. 49). Katz, L. G., & Raths, J. D. (1985). Dispositions as goals for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 1(4), 301–307. Kavanoz, S., & Yüksel, G. (2015). An Investigation of Peer-Teaching Technique in Student Teacher Development An Investigation of Peer-Teaching Technique in Student Teacher Development. June 2010. Kurniawan, A. R., Chan, F., Sargandi, M., Yolanda, S., Karomah, R., Setianingtyas, W., & Irani, S. (2019). Kebijakan Sekolah Dalam Penggunaan Gadget di Sekolah Dasar. Jurnal Tunas Pendidikan, 2(1), 72–81. Lim, L. L. (2014). A case study on peer-teaching. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2(08), 35. Manchishi, P. C., & Mwanza, D. S. (2016). Teacher Preparation at the University of Zambia: Is Peer Teaching Still a Useful Strategy? International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 3(11), 88–100. https://doi.org/10.20431/2349-0381.0311012 Mansur, M. (2007). KTSP: Pembelajaran Berbasis Kompetensi dan Kontekstual, Jakarta: PT. Bumi. Marais, P., & Meier, C. (2004). Hear our voices: Student teachers’ experiences during practical teaching. Africa Education Review, 1(2), 220–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146620408566281 McFarland, J., Hussar, B., Wang, X., Zhang, J., Wang, K., Rathbun, A., Barmer, A., Cataldi, E. F., & Mann, F. B. (2018). The Condition of Education 2018. NCES 2018-144. National Center for Education Statistics. Meilanie, R. S. M., & Syamsiatin, E. (2020). Multi Perspectives on Play Based Curriculum Quality Standards in the Center Learning Model. Jurnal Pendidikan Usia Dini, 14(1), 15–31. Michael Luna, S. (2016). (Re)defining “good teaching”: Teacher performance assessments and critical race theory in early childhood teacher education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 17(4), 442–446. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949116677932 Morgan, G. B., Hodge, K. J., Trepinski, T. M., & Anderson, L. W. (2014). The Stability of Teacher Performance and Effectiveness: Implications for Policies Concerning Teacher Evaluation Grant. Mulyasa, E. (2013). Uji kompetensi dan Penilaian Kinerja guru. Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya. Nasrun, Dr., & Ambarita, D. F. P. (2017). The Effect of Organizational Culture and Work Motivation on Teachers Performance of Public Senior High School in Tebing Tinggi. Atlantis Press, 118, 320–326. https://doi.org/10.2991/icset-17.2017.53 Nguyen, M. (2013). Peer tutoring as a strategy to promote academic success. Research Brief. Noelke, C., & Horn, D. (2010). OECD Review on Evaluation and Assessment Frameworks for Improving School Outcomes-Hungary Country Background Report. OECD: PARIS. OECD. (2005). Teacher’s matter. Attracting, developing, and retaining effective teachers. Paris. OECD-Education Committee. Pablo Fraser, Gabor Fülöp, M. L. and M. S. D. (2018). I.  What teachers and school leaders say about their jobs. TALIS, 2, 1–7. Parihar, K. S., Campus, D., Principal, J., & Campus, D. (2017). Study Of Effect Of Pre Teaching Training Experience On. 5, 59–62. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1039595 Parsons, S. A., Vaughn, M., Scales, R. Q., Gallagher, M. A., Parsons, A. W., Davis, S. G., Pierczynski, M., & Allen, M. (2018). Teachers’ instructional adaptations: A research synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 88(2), 205–242. Pillay, R., & Laeequddin, M. (2019). Peer teaching: A pedagogic method for higher education. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 9(1), 2907–2913. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.A9106.119119 Popova, A., Evans, D. K., & Arancibia, V. (2018). Training Teachers on the Job What Works and How to Measure It. Policy Research Working Paper, September 2016. Ramadoni, W., Kusmintardjo, K., & Arifin, I. (2016). Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah dalam Upaya Peningkatan Kinerja Guru (Studi Multi Kasus di Paud Islam Sabilillah dan Sdn Tanjungsari 1 Kabupaten Sidoarjo). Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, Dan Pengembangan, 1(8), 1500–1504. Rees, E. L., Quinn, P. J., Davies, B., & Fotheringham, V. (2016). How does peer teaching compare to faculty teaching? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medical Teacher, 38(8), 829–837. Sawchuk, S. (2015). Teacher evaluation: An issue overview. Education Week, 35(3), 1–6. Skourdoumbis, A. (2018). Theorising teacher performance dispositions in an age of audit. 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3492 Springer, M. G., Swain, W. A., & Rodriguez, L. A. (2016). Effective teacher retention bonuses: Evidence from Tennessee. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 38(2), 199–221. Staiger, D. O., & Rockoff, J. E. (2010). Searching for effective teachers with imperfect information. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(3), 97–118. Suyatno, H., & Pd, M. (2008). Panduan sertifikasi guru. Jakarta: PT Macanan Jaya Cemerlang. ten Cate, O. (2017). Practice Report / Bericht aus der Praxis: Peer teaching: From method to philosophy. Zeitschrift Fur Evidenz, Fortbildung Und Qualitat Im Gesundheitswesen, 127–128, 85–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zefq.2017.10.005 Thurlings, M., & den Brok, P. (2018). Student teachers’ and in-service teachers’ peer learning: A realist synthesis. Educational Research and Evaluation, 24(1–2), 13–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2018.1509719 Toch, T., & Rothman, R. (2008). Rush to Judgment: Teacher Evaluation in Public Education. Education Sector Reports. Education Sector. Ünal, Z., & Unal, A. (2012). The Impact of Years of Teaching Experience on the Classroom Management Approaches of Elementary School Teachers. International Journal of Instruction, 5(2), 41–60. Vasay, E. T. (2010). The effects of peer teaching in the performance of students in mathematics. E-International Scientific Research Journal, 2(2), 161–171. Weisberg, D., Sexton, S., Mulhern, J., Keeling, D., Schunck, J., Palcisco, A., & Morgan, K. (2009). The widget effect: Our national failure to acknowledge and act on differences in teacher effectiveness. New Teacher Project. Winters, M. A., & Cowen, J. M. (2013). Would a value‐added system of retention improve the distribution of teacher quality? A Simulation of Alternative Policies. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 32(3), 634–654.

In Victoria Guidance Officers provide school psychology and guidance services to families and schools. Most are located throughout Victorian centres which service local school communities and these by and large provide a generalist service which is supplemented by the service of statewide specialists.New recruits are drawn from the teaching service and those teachers with the necessary combination of experience, qualifications and personal qualities are eligible to apply. There is usually a new intake each year and this number varies according to staff ceilings and vacancies. In 1983 the intake was 45 trainee Guidance Officers which was the largest number of teachers ever recruited. These trainees were allocated to local centres where they would undertake their supervised apprenticeship, which together with the compulsory central training, would make them eligible in two years to become registered Guidance Officers.

Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Muhammadiyah Cileungsi has the duty of the College Dharma Chess which includes education and teaching activities, research and community service, and AIKA and Al-Islam. The purpose of this research is to teach writing methods to teachers, to facilitate teaching and learning. The method used in this research are identification of the problem, conduct a field survey, finding material, and direct training to representatives of each high school / vocational school teachers. In this training participants were given the easiest writing method. From telling great writers in life in the world, where they can exist in writing. Then the participants were asked to write an article to get used to writing. After the end of the activity, participants are asked to share in the group or discuss directly with the speaker, so that the writing that has been made can be immediately reviewed. Solutions in writing training, taking the time to write, and frequent discussions with people who often write. The result of this research is the teachers know writing techniques to develop teaching activity in the classroom.

The educational methodologies that might be used to manage education and in-service training among secondary school teachers in southwest Nigeria were mentioned in the paper. The degree of in-service training and academic qualifications of secondary school teachers in Southwest Nigeria were investigated, as well as male and female teachers' impressions of in-service training and re-training by the government. The study employed survey-style descriptive research. In southwest Nigeria, the population was made up entirely of teachers. The study's sample included 200 teachers who were chosen using a multistage sampling approach that included both simple random sampling and stratified random sampling techniques. The study found that secondary school teachers in southwest Nigeria have a low level of in-service training and a high level of academic qualifications and that there is no significant difference in perceptions of in-service training and academic qualifications between male and female secondary school teachers in southwest Nigeria. It was suggested that the government step up their efforts to organize in-service training for secondary school teachers, such as conferences, seminars, and workshops, in order to impart the necessary knowledge to students in order to achieve sustainable development goals. Additionally, necessary types of machinery should be put in place to improve the performance of the ministry of education and local education authorities in order to upgrade teachers and enhance their performance. In conclusion, there is a lack of teacher training and retraining in southwest Nigeria, as well as a high level of academic qualifications among secondary school teachers.

Community Service Activities in the form of Mental Health Therapy Training for Adolescents is one form of community service in the form of seminars aimed at conveying opinions or something new to participants, namely BK and teachers of Vocational High School in Sidoarjo with the hope that participants will get something new to be developed to become one thing that is broader about mental health therapy in adolescents. The activity was carried out on April 7, 2021 at the Health Polytechnic of Kerta Cendekia, Sidoarjo with the target being BK teachers at the Senior High School and Vocational High School levels in Sidoarjo. Before the activity was carried out, there was a process of preparing activities for 3 weeks before the activity was carried out, starting from the selection of extension materials to submission to related parties. As an evaluation, the activity was attended by BK teachers at the Senior High School and Vocational High School in Sidoarjo. Participants participated in these activities with enthusiasm and conducive, the activities can be carried out on time smoothly.

Research in the field of professional development (PD) stresses the importance of the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) designed to promote the process of inquiry in teaching. PLCs are of great importance with regard to both school improvement and in-service teacher training. This article shows that it is possible to teach teachers to reflect on their beliefs and actions, making them visible to teachers and their colleagues during a cooperative process of inquiry in the classroom. The empirical data stem from a 2-year, school-based, in-service teacher-training program involving 16 teachers at two Danish high schools. The research question is ‘how can teachers’ reflections, pedagogical awareness, and perspectives on their beliefs be sharpened by in-service teacher training?’ With regard to school improvement, two conclusions are drawn: (1) teachers’ pedagogical awareness is sharpened and their classroom behavior and educational thinking change when their routine actions and thinking are questioned and scrutinized; (2) teachers who experiment systematically with their own teaching alongside their colleagues find the process and product rewarding.

Teacher education in Finland is widely respected and of high quality. However, there is a recognised need to develop the educational continuum from pre-service education to in-service training. This article deals with challenges connected to in-service teacher training. Based on two projects, consisting of seven one-month courses for teachers of Swedish in Finland, we reflect on the challenges we encountered during the three-year process. In our research, theory and practice, but also data and methods, have been intertwined, as we have studied the phenomenon by using exploratory practice (Allwright, 2003). The projects and the study were based on a thorough literature review. During the planning phase, we identified many issues that should be taken into consideration during in-service training projects for teachers of Swedish, e.g., challenges posed by the new national core curricula and the new distribution of lesson hours, declining results in middle-long Swedish (Syllabus B1), relatively low self-reported school satisfaction, and problems linked with teachers’ professional development. In this paper, we report on challenges we encountered during the process. These included challenges connected to (a) teacher co-operation, (b) traditional vs. modern teaching methods, and (c) teachers’ language skills. Based on our research, we wish to emphasise the importance of research-based planning and implementation of in-service training, as well as a genuine connection between in-service training, teachers’ everyday work and school reality.

Entrepreneurship is an issue that has positioned itself as a key element for decision-making by governments, in their aspiration to generate new alternatives for progress. Its involvement in education has led international organizations to consider it within their action plans. In the case of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, its incorporation is in sight, especially in high school. Law 1014 of 2006 in Colombia supports the entrepreneurship class at schools in the country, intending to motivate processes that increase job opportunities and improve the quality of life of the society. However, according to this law, the responsibility of leading concrete actions in the classrooms falls on the teachers who, despite the lack of training in entrepreneurship at the university degrees, courageously assume this challenge. Considering this situation, it is important to generate a discussion from the teachers' point of view in the framework of a qualitative investigation, through interviews and documentary analysis, configures an inquiry resulting from the approach to their experiences, concerns and needs for a quality teacher training, that assumes entrepreneurship based on the demands of the new millennium. Hence, this reflection article is inclined to present the tasks aimed at the implementation of entrepreneurship in high school, from the experience of the teachers and instructors of the National Learning Service, through an approach to the reality of some schools in the city ​​of Bogota. As a result, it was possible to demonstrate their efforts, learn about their implementation style and uncover this immense field to explore within the lack of training offered by universities and institutions in charge of providing training to teachers and those who are being prepared to become ones.

This study aimed to identify the level of teachers’ readiness in implementing the 21st century learning; determine the relationship between teachers’ demographic profile and level of understanding 21st century learning; determine the difference between Bay and Los Baños districts teachers’ readiness; and design a training program for teachers. The respondents were the regular/permanent senior high school teachers of the Department of Education in the said districts, School Year 2019-2020. The teacher-respondents were from three and six public senior high schools from Bay and Los Baños, Laguna, respectively; adopted questionnaire and used simple random sampling technique. Findings, reveal that the level of teachers’ readiness was high but they still need professional development in order to: increase the knowledge about 21st century learning; assessment of students, use technology as a tool in teaching; and have advanced training on different strategies in handling 21st century students. The teachers’ profiles such as sex, age, teaching position, years in service and educational attainment influenced the level of teachers’ understanding in implementing the 21st century learning; while there is no difference on teachers’ level of readiness between the Bay and Los Baños districts. Hence, a comprehensive training program is recommended to enhance teachers’ professional and technical skills.

Currently, mathematical modeling literacy has attracted more and more attention from all walks of life. Many relevant problems about it have been studied except the cognitive degree of mathematical modeling literacy of pre-service high school mathematics teachers. This study investigates 51 pre-service high school mathematics teachers' cognitive degree of mathematical modeling literacy by using the method of open interview. After analyzing, it is found that: 1. The scope of cognition of the current pre-service high school mathematics teachers' mathematical modeling literacy is not wide, and more than half of the content of mathematical modeling literacy has not been realized by many pre-service teachers yet; 2. The cognition of many pre-service teachers is not deep and lacks continuity or gradualness; 3. The cognition of many pre-service teachers for many aspects of mathematical modeling literacy is not very clear. Therefore, it is suggested that: 1. Experts and teachers responsible for training work should pay more attention to mathematical modeling literacy and add relevant courses; 2. Pre-service high school mathematics teachers should understand the content of mathematical modeling literacy comprehensively and deeply and clarify relevant statements. Contribution/Originality: This study analyzed the cognition degree of mathematical modeling literacy of current pre-service high school mathematics teachers in China with an open-ended questionnaire self-designed. The results are conducive to reforming the present Chinese teaching and curriculum in order to improve the training for pre-service teachers.y

The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions of Indiana secondary teachers regarding components deemed important to effective staff development programs. Perceptions were analyzed according to the years of teaching experience, gender, content area and demographic classification of the school. The population consisted of two hundred fifty secondary public school teachers from fifty public secondary schools distributed throughout the ten regions of the Indiana School Boards Association.The data collection Instrument used in the study consisted of a demographic section, a forty-item Likert style questionnaire and a short answer/narrative section. Four null hypotheses were tested for statistical significance using a multivariate analysis of variance. The .05 level of significance was established as the critical probability level for the non-acceptance of hypotheses. Insufficient responses in one cell necessitated the deletion of the hypothesis stating no significant difference exists in the perceptions of teachers from schools which are classified as urban, suburban or rural.FindingsStatistically significant differences were found to exist in the perceptions of Indiana public secondary teachers regarding components deemed Important to effective staff development programs from different subject content areas and gender. However, no statistically significant difference was found to exist from teachers with varying years of teaching experience.3. Forty-six percent of the responding teachers reported they participated in a staff development program.4. Teachers reported nearly two to one they would participate in a staff development program during the summer months.5. Thirteen percent of the teachers reporting had five or less years of teaching experience, whereas forty-one percent reported sixteen or more years of teaching experience.
Department of Educational Administration and Supervision

This descriptive study was undertaken for the primary purpose of identifying attitudes and beliefs of secondary teachers toward staff development. Participants in the study included the total population of teachers in two high schools in a southwestern school district. The objectives of the study were to identify the attitudes and beliefs of teachers toward staff development as an important part of their professional growth, and toward the organization, processes, and personnel involved in staff development. Also to be identified were the level of knowledge and interest teachers have of specific topics for staff development programs, and similarities/differences in teachers' attitudes based on school, department, number of years teaching experience, education level, participation in a career ladder program, and gender. The data was collected using a two-part, modified Likert scale questionnaire. The findings of the study suggest that the teachers from the school itself should plan staff development, including the content which should be based on the teachers' needs as determined from an open-ended questionnaire, and that the instructors should be teachers from the school or the school's administrators. Staff development programs should incorporate a variety of teaching methods, although lecture was rated as the least desirable single method by the teachers. Staff development should be regular and on-going, with quarterly sessions receiving the most agreement from the teachers. It should be held at the school itself, during released time, and job-related. The teachers agreed that staff development should be evaluated throughout the school year, by the teachers, assessing whether its objectives had been met. Participation should not be mandatory, but depend upon the content of the program and the needs of the individual. Incentives to participate should include the intrinsic value of improved teaching ability, salary increases, university credit, and increased student achievement. Finally, over seventy percent of the teachers agreed that staff development is an important part of their professional growth.

The purpose of this study was to describe factors affecting the use of instructional ideas by secondary teachers in the academic year following a series of staff development sessions designed to present information on effective teaching practices. The research questions addressed the characteristics of information selected for use in classroom practice and the characteristics and relative degree of influence of salient factors affecting the use of ideas. Ten teachers from a large suburban school district in North Texas were selected for this study. Qualitative techniques were used to collect data. Each teacher was interviewed three times and observed in the classroom setting. Documents such as lesson plans were analyzed as a third source of data. Several factors evolved from the data. In varying degrees, these factors predicted teacher use of new instructional practices. Some factors dealt with the teacher's level of understanding and internalization of the information. These factors were labeled as instrumentality, congruence, and analytical thinking. Two other factors which were fairly strong predictors were labeled cost and intrinsic motivation. Cost concerned the amount of time or effort required to implement new ideas versus the perceived benefit to either teacher or student. Intrinsic motivation concerned the personal desire a teacher felt to try new ideas which might improve student learning. Another factor, professionalism, or teacher commitment to the teaching profession, was found to be a less powerful predictor. Two factors were found to be inconclusive predictors of implementation. They were the support felt by the teacher and external pressures, such as legislative mandates and district evaluations and career ladder. The cluster of factors developed in this study offer some possible guidelines for persons concerned with patterns of knowledge utilization among teachers. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to determine if the categories used in this study are consistent predictors of implementation and to verify the research implications in this study.

This two-year case study investigated the effects of a peer observation process in a high school on the six selected areas listed below. Peer observation is a process to improve instruction by having teachers observe and critique other teacher's videotapes of classroom teaching. 1. Changes in norms and expectations for sharing instructional ideas among teachers. 2. The perceived value of self-evaluation of videotapes and related peer discussions about teaching. 3. The perceived value of peer feedback exchanges for instructional improvement. 4. The use of other teachers as models for effective teaching. 5. The perceived value of peer exchanges in stimulating a desire to improve. 6. The effect of peer interaction on the school climate for teacher improvement. The case study design was effective for investigating subjects in their natural setting which was a faculty of approximately 65 veteran teachers who had participated in one or more activities of the peer observation process. Research methods included the use of multiple sources of data from observations, questionnaires, surveys, peer discussion reports, and interviews. Lines of inquiry were triangulated across methods to strengthen the results and to search for divergent findings. Descriptive analyses were used to present and discuss the findings. Seventy-three percent of the staff participated the first year, 43% participated in the second year. Results from the findings indicated that peer observation had the following effects in this setting: 1. Standards of behavior among teachers changed from closed to open after experience with the process. Teachers exchanged ideas on teaching beyond that requested and in situations outside the process activities. 2. Videotape replay of classroom teaching and peer group discussions were perceived as valuable for both observed and observing teachers. 3. Teachers preferred feedback from peers because of the varied ideas from credible sources, the time to exchange teaching strategies, and the nonthreatening environment. 4. Teachers used other teachers as models for generating effective methods for immediate classroom use. S. Teachers perceived exchanges to have stimulated a desire to improve on three levels; awareness, effort, and implementation. 6. A climate for instructional improvement evolved where teachers perceived a need to share information and generate ideas in a non-threatening manner. The peer observation process was found to be an effective program for teacher improvement of instruction in this setting.

AbstractOutdoor Education activities are rapidly developing in school practice in Switzerland, still mainly based on personal initiatives from teachers. Teacher training universities have a role to play to reinforce and facilitate professional development of these teachers, guarantee a coherent approach to quality outdoor education, and promote its implementation at a larger scale. In order to do this, universities have to develop programmes both for initial and in-service training, in which they support a progression with various levels of expertise. They also have to develop a scientific discourse around outdoor teacher education, and contribute to a better recognition of the field at a political level. At the moment, in Switzerland, few teacher training institutions have organised any specific arrangements in this direction. The Haute Ecole Pédagogique Vaud has set up a Competence Centre for Outdoor Education, made possible by the priority recently given to sustainability education at state level. The approach promoted within this centre is nourished by ongoing discussions around the Anthropocene and its implications for schools. It therefore fosters a quality outdoor education that builds up environmental literacy and agency by cultivating a sense of bonding with the world. This article presents this approach, focusing on its theoretical and didactical framework before tackling a possible curricular progression at the level of both pupils and teachers. It highlights training and research issues and aims, looking at possibilities and complexities when combining transformative sustainability education, place-based outdoor education and teacher education, while making the link to schools and their structural and curricular realities.

Video-research, which represents a multi-methodological practice and an interdisciplinary study area, responds to various knowledge problems created by the complexity of the didactic phenomena to be investigated, and proposes instruments and technologies that have a very high potential about phenomena description, reproduction and comprehension, not only for researchers but also for teachers themselves who are the protagonists of those phenomena. Starting by these preliminary remarks, this chapter will be focused on the introduction of the preliminary results of a video-research itinerary achieved by the DidaSco group (School Didactics) throughout a project itinerary that involved six infant, primary and secondary (first degree only) schools in Bari and its province, working on History didactics intermediary processes. In the meantime, in this chapter a particular attention will be paid to the introduction of a video analysis form which was realized by the authors.

Purpose: to discuss about the self-directed learning readiness of backbone teachers in primary and middle schools, and its relationship with their learning effectiveness. Methods: “scales for teachers’ self-directed learning readiness” and “questionnaires about teachers’ in-service training effects” were conducted on 592 primary and middle school backbone teachers who were receiving National Teacher Training Program. Results: The self-directed learning readiness of primary and middle school backbone teachers is commonly high; the readiness differs in different genders, teaching ages, and between rural and urban areas; there is significant positive correlation between the teachers’ self-directed learning readiness and their learning effectiveness. Enlightenment: Supportive system for self-directed learning should be created, to encourage and lead backbone teachers in primary and middle schools to achieve self-directed learning with high efficiency.

Over the past seven years, we have provided intensive training to cohorts of school psychology and special education graduate students. Through rigorous shared coursework, in-person and virtual learning, coordinated school-based fieldwork, and enhanced study (conference attendance, seminar participation, case study completions) scholars gained the skills to establish and sustain culturally responsive, evidence-based transition services for students with disabilities, including those high-intensity needs. This chapter describes the steps the co-authors took to enhance the training and service delivery of school psychologists and special education teachers to provide effective transition services.

Special education teacher preparation is one of the most critical areas of teacher preparation in higher education. The field is even more complicated depending on the environment in which it takes shape given urban, high-needs, suburban, and rural school communities. Equally important in today's teacher preparation paradigm is supplying pre-service teachers with the pedagogical skills necessary to meet the needs of their 21st century learners, especially those students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds and who attend urban schools. This chapter attempts to construct a practitioner friendly framework to examine inextricable linkages between teacher preparation and the role higher education institutions play in providing pre-service special education teachers the requisite skills necessary to become successful urban educators/practitioners. Teacher preparation programs can better support new teacher retention through CRT and family diversity training.

Special education teacher preparation is one of the most critical areas of teacher preparation in higher education. The field is even more complicated depending on the environment in which it takes shape given urban, high-needs, suburban, and rural school communities. Equally important in today's teacher preparation paradigm is supplying pre-service teachers with the pedagogical skills necessary to meet the needs of their 21st century learners, especially those students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds and who attend urban schools. This chapter attempts to construct a practitioner friendly framework to examine inextricable linkages between teacher preparation and the role higher education institutions play in providing pre-service special education teachers the requisite skills necessary to become successful urban educators/practitioners. Teacher preparation programs can better support new teacher retention through CRT and family diversity training.

The affordances offered by modern Internet technologies provide new opportunities for the pre-service and in-service training of teachers, making it possible to overcome the restrictions of shrinking resources and geographical locations and to offer high quality learning experiences to geographically dispersed teachers. The focus of this chapter is the question of how information and communication tools made available online could be effectively exploited to build and study network-based services with the aim of fostering online communities that promote teacher learning and development. The chapter presents an overview of the main experiences gained from a study which investigated the forms of collaboration and shared knowledge building undertaken by a multinational group of teachers participating in EarlyStatistics, an online professional development in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school mathematics teachers. Findings from the study provide insights into the factors that may facilitate or hinder the successful implementation of an online community of teaching practitioners.

The affordances offered by modern Internet technologies provide new opportunities for the pre-service and in-service training of teachers, making it possible to overcome the restrictions of shrinking resources and geographical locations and to offer high quality learning experiences to geographically dispersed teachers. The focus of this chapter is the question of how information and communication tools made available online could be effectively exploited to build and study network-based services with the aim of fostering online communities that promote teacher learning and development. The chapter presents an overview of the main experiences gained from a study which investigated the forms of collaboration and shared knowledge building undertaken by a multinational group of teachers participating in EarlyStatistics, an online professional development in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school mathematics teachers. Findings from the study provide insights into the factors that may facilitate or hinder the successful implementation of an online community of teaching practitioners.

Children's learning and development is shaped by their early experiences and environments. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is a set of programs and services provided to children from birth to school years that supports their learning and development. Availability of quality ECCE programs is vital for the development of not only children and families but also communities and countries. High quality ECCE programs have certain structural and process characteristics. One of the most important determinants of quality in ECCE programs is the quality of professional workforce serving children and families. In order to increase quality, there should be systems and supports for the training and development of high quality ECCE professionals. This chapter takes a look into Turkey, outlines its preservice education for ECCE teachers, presents a national in-service training project, and offers implications for practice. There need to be effective policies and strategies to cultivate a high-quality workforce in early childhood education and development across the world.

Special education teacher preparation is one of the most critical areas of teacher preparation in higher education. The field is even more complicated depending on the environment in which it takes shape given urban, high-needs, suburban, and rural school communities. Equally important in today's teacher preparation paradigm is supplying pre-service teachers with the pedagogical skills necessary to meet the needs of their 21st century learners, especially those students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds and who attend urban schools. This chapter attempts to construct a practitioner friendly framework to examine inextricable linkages between teacher preparation and the role higher education institutions play in providing pre-service special education teachers the requisite skills necessary to become successful urban educators/practitioners. Teacher preparation programs can better support new teacher retention through CRT and family diversity training.

Primary school teachers’ science competence remains a highly relevant theoretical and practical problem. Although the general curricula and educational standards of Lithuanian general education school set quite high requirements for the process of primary school science education, the science competence of teachers raises reasonable concerns. It has to be stated that in university primary education study programmes, insufficient attention is paid to the natural science component. This leads to a possible lack of preparation for pre-service primary school teachers in science education. A pilot study conducted at the beginning of 2020, in which 107 students from two Lithuanian universities participated, showed that their scientific knowledge was poor and insufficient. Particularly weak was subject knowledge from the field “Nature research”, and also knowledge related to animate and inanimate nature. An assumption can be made that science literacy of pre-service primary education teachers is not sufficiently developed at university, which is one of the factors limiting the quality of children’s science education. There are probably two main reasons for this situation: insufficient science education in general education schools, and insufficient training of students in the field of science education for pre-service primary school teachers. Keywords: quantitative research, pilot research, pre-service teachers, science content knowledge, university students

Aim / Purpose This study examined the perception of the role of tutors in online training of preservice teachers during the COVID period, from the perspective of pre-service teachers and their tutors. Background Because of the COVID pandemic, learning in schools was conducted online, therefore preservice teachers’ practicum also took place online, as did the tutoring process. Methodology The research question was: How did preservice teachers and their tutors perceive the experience of teaching during the COVID period perceived by them; specifically, what was their sense of self-efficacy and satisfaction, and what difficulties did they encounter? This was a quantitative study. The sample included 221 participants comprising 111 tutors and 110 preservice teachers. Data were collected in Israel in 2021. Contribution This study sheds light on the process of online tutoring of preservice teachers by their tutors. Findings The study found that preservice teachers and their tutors perceived the practicum during the COVID period to be helpful, answering preservice teachers’ needs and providing professional assistance in their training. This was more so in the professional aspects of teaching, in the emotional aspects of the tutoring process, and in the process of shaping the preservice teachers’ professional identity, and less so in the organizational aspects of the school. In both groups (tutors and preservice teachers), it emerged that during a com-plex period of social isolation, maintaining contact reinforces the sense of self-efficacy. Tutors who encountered fewer technical difficulties and thought the tutoring process was enjoyable expressed more satisfaction with the tutoring process. Tutors felt that they were able to get better acquainted personally with the preservice teachers they taught, and vice versa, and preservice teachers were able to get to know their tutors personally. Tutors thought that their interpersonal communication benefitted the preservice teachers, that they listened to their mentees, and understood them. Preservice teachers felt that tutors allowed them to voice their expectations and concerns about their teaching experiences. Recommendations for Practitioners One of the main goals of practicum in studies toward a teaching certificate is to prepare the students for their role as teachers. In the online tutoring process, emphasis should be placed on professional aspects (such as instruction and classroom management, identifying points for improvement and setting them as goals and challenges for the future) and on emotional aspects (such as promoting growth and personal development of preservice teachers in the process of shaping their professional identity). Recommendations for Researchers One of the findings of the study is that the tutor-mentee relationship should be preserved in remote tutoring. The findings showed a positive correlation between maintaining such contact and high self-efficacy for both tutors and preservice teachers. It was found that tutors who reported high self-efficacy felt that interpersonal communication benefitted the teachers they were guiding. Impact on Society Information collected in this study indicates that the tutors made a great effort to provide preservice teachers with meaningful coaching during the COVID period. In certain aspects, the tutoring was more successful and in other aspects less so, given the characteristics of the period, such as social distancing, no attendance of regular classes at school, and so forth. Future Research It is recommended to continue investigating the online tutoring process, both from the perspective of preservice teachers and of tutors, to explore in-depth the correlation between self-efficacy and interpersonal communication, with emphasis on feedback between the tutors and preservice teachers.

Pre-service teachers’ preparedness and confidence levels to teach is a topical subject in higher education. Previous studies have commented on the role of teacher in-service training in preparing teachers for provision of meaningful classroom experiences to their learners, but many researchers regard pre-service teacher development as the cornerstone. Whilst teacher competence can be measured in terms of different variables e.g. pedagogy, knowledge of the curriculum, technological knowledge etc., the present study focused on teacher competency in terms of Life Sciences subject matter knowledge (SMK). The study was framed by pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The study sought to answer the research question: How do preservice teachers perceive their levels of preparedness and confidence in teaching high school Life Sciences topics at the end of their four years of professional development? In a qualitative study, a total of 77 pre-service teachers enrolled for the Methodology and Practicum Life Sciences course at a university in South Africa participated in the study. Each participant was tasked to identify topic(s)/concept(s) in Life Sciences they felt challenged to teach, provide a critical analysis of the reasons for that and map the way forward to overcome the challenges. This task was meant to provide the pre-service teachers with an opportunity to reflect and at the same time evaluate the goals of the learning programme they had gone through. Pre-service teachers’ perspectives show their attitudes, values and beliefs based on their personal experiences which therefore help them to interpret their teaching practices. The qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. The findings showed that whilst pre-service teachers were competent to teach other topics, the majority felt that they were not fully prepared and hence lacked confidence to teach the history of life on earth and plant and animal tissues in grade 10; excretion in animals particularly the functions of the nephron in grade 11; and evolution and genetics in grade 12. Different reasons were proffered for the lack of preparedness to teach these topics. The participants regarded some of these topics as difficult and complex e.g. genetics. Evolution was considered to be antagonistic to the participants’ and learners’ cultural and religious belief systems. Hence the participants had negative attitudes towards them. Some of the pre-service teachers indicated that they lacked interest in some of the topics particularly the history of life on earth which they considered to be more aligned to Geography, a subject they did not like. As remedies for their shortcomings in the content, the pre-service teachers planned to co-teach these topics with colleagues, and others planned to enrol for content enrichment programmes. These findings have implications for teacher professional development programmes.

The Institute for Educational Technologies (ITD) in Genoa, part of Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) has long held high-quality on-site training and refresher courses for teachers that are recognized by Italy’s Ministry of Education and Research (MIUR). In addition to participating in face-to-face initiatives, Italy’s teachers are increasingly exploiting opportunities to participate in certified online training initiatives. These are especially popular as they permit teachers a high degree of autonomy and flexibility in managing their learning. Since September 2014, ITD-CNR has been testing and implementing innovative training methods (mostly on behalf of a large Italian public research organization). These include webinars, which make it possible to reach large numbers of participants. ITD-CNR has also designed and made available a series of open courses designed to help teachers develop the skills needed to enhance classroom integration of students with disabilities, specific learning disabilities, and other special educational needs. These courses also address the use of technologies and strategies for more effective school inclusion. To ensure these training proposals remain usable over time and continue to provide relevant content, in 2016 ITD-CNR created an online platform called Essediquadro Training (https://sd2.itd.cnr.it/corsiformazione). This aggregates and makes available five open courses that are free of charge, totalling 130 hours of high-quality, certified training.In the past two years, the platform has attracted over 9000 registered users (pre- and in-service teachers), and has become a focal point for similar training initiatives launched by schools and universities, who are integrating their own training courses with those on offer from Essediquadro Training. In this contribution, we illustrate the characteristics and contents of the Essediquadro Training platform, examine the use of webinars for teacher training, and offer some considerations based on results of satisfaction questionnaires compiled by platform users.

The service-learning methodology combines active learning processes and community service. This service-learning experience was performed using an interdisciplinary and cross plan. The teachers made a horizontal coordination in the courses, and a vertical coordination in subjects of the Degrees involved. This allowed working together in the students’ curricular training process. It also permitted covering various specific skills, as corresponds to the different subjects, whilst optimizing the students’ workload. The service addressed the problem of drug-facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA) in the youth leisure nightlife. DFSA is the temporary disability of a person caused by a decrease in her/his volitional and cognitive abilities due to the voluntary or involuntary consumption of a psychoactive substance. An active learning about the problem was encouraged in the classroom, focused on recognizing myths, attitudes, and risk situations. The service-learning actions to the community was based on an anonymous survey conducted among the students, which dealt with the problem. The Service Learning was stimulated through the design, planning and development of activities aimed at gaining social awareness of the existing problem while favouring peer learning processes. The students undertook awareness actions at different levels, spreading their message by means of social networks, high school workshops, and information stands on the street.

To address chronically low primary school completion rates and the disconnect between learners’ skills at the end of primary school and the skills learners need to thrive in secondary school identified in many low- and middle-income countries, more investment is needed to improve the quality of teaching and learning in upper primary grades. Accordingly, we provide guidelines for improving five components of upper primary education: (1) In-service teacher professional development and pre-service preparation to improve and enhance teacher quality; (2) a focus on mathematics, literacy, and core content-area subjects; (3) assessment for learning; (4) high-quality teaching and learning materials; and (5) positive school climates. We provide foundational guiding principles and recommendations for intervention design and implementation for each component. Additionally, we discuss and propose how to structure and design pre-service teacher preparation and in-service teacher training and ongoing support, fortified by materials design and assessment, to help teachers determine where learners are in developmental progressions, move learners towards mastery, and differentiate and support learners who have fallen behind. We provide additional suggestions for integrating a whole-school climate curriculum, social-emotional learning, and school-related gender-based violence prevention strategies to address the internal and societal changes learners often face as they enter upper primary.