Search results for: Professional learning

In recent years, increased attention has been focused on the mentoring of teacher candidates throughout Turkey. In particular, the requirement for school principals and mentor teachers to attend mentor education programmes as specified in the Teacher Strategy Document (TSD) set forth by Ministry of National Education (MoNE). Therefore, the aim of the following study is to reveal the professional learning needs of teachers who are assigned as mentors. The authors framed the research issue by outlining the professional learning needs of mentor teachers from the perspective of mentor teachers, university supervisors and teacher candidates. This research took place at three state universities along with the associated practicum schools. It was revealed in the study findings that mentor teacher education programmes were designed around three primary themes: professional knowledge and skills, core mentoring skills and social qualifications.

An extraordinary number of young children are exposed to trauma that impacts their development and well-being. Early care and education (ECE) programs are uniquely positioned to support children exposed to trauma yet may lack access to resources and professional development to enhance their capacity to deliver trauma-informed care. Using a qualitative multiple case study methodology, this study investigated how five urban ECE programs adopted new trauma-informed practices as a result of participating in a collaborative model for professional learning. This model, called the Breakthrough Series Collaborative, is designed to build both individual and organizational capacity to implement new practices and is supported by theoretical frameworks from organizational and improvement science. The study explored the changes that occurred at the individual, classroom, and organizational levels. Results suggest changes in knowledge and attitudes about trauma, empathy, and teacher empowerment; classroom and practice level shifts including social and emotional teaching and family centered communication; and at the organizational level a more caring and collaborative workplace culture and improved interagency collaboration. The results further suggest that professional development delivered at the organizational level may support the coordinated implementation of new trauma-informed care (TIC) practices by both teachers and administrators building organizational capacity to improve and sustain these practices.

Content-focused practice-based professional development (PBPD) with active learning is one avenue to support teachers in learning new strategies, practices, and programs. This type of professional development moves away from traditional lectures. In this descriptive study, the authors used a pre–post group design to examine the extent to which a PBPD was effective in teaching participants how to design, implement, and evaluate functional assessment–based interventions. Results indicate participants increased perceived knowledge, confidence, and usefulness and made gains in actual knowledge. The authors conclude with implications, limitations, and suggestions for research and practice.

The study uses reflexive leadership as a framework for considering teacher professional learning across a network of schools. The paper explores professional learning strategies for eight next generation leaders, both for their own leadership learning and to build their repertoire of professional learning strategies. The study found that the emerging leaders understood the benefit of collaboration between the big schools and the need for focused teacher professional learning within their own schools. They also appreciated the synergy between the design of professional learning and the types of communication required to develop shared goals and actions in teacher professional learning teams.