Search Results (17)

An effective response to the socio-environmental crisis requires the education of critical citizens, capable of articulating local action with collective socio-political engagement. Teachers occupy a central position in educating for Environmental Citizenship (EC), yet in-service professional development models in this area remain scarce. Within a Design-Based Research framework, this article discusses the expert evaluation of a training prototype. 32 experts—comprising EC researchers, TPD researchers, and specialist teachers—responded to a qualitative questionnaire regarding the model’s design. Data underwent inductive content analysis, with categories emerging directly from the responses. While results strongly validate the prototype’s structure, crucial recommendations emerged for its improvement. Pedagogically, experts suggested focusing on structuring methodologies like Problem-Based Learning and Case Studies to avoid fragmentation. Conceptually, they highlighted the need to deepen critical theoretical foundations and incorporate explicit training in activism and communication skills, enriched by ethical considerations. These findings inform the redesign of a model whose implementation aims to reduce the gap between ecological awareness and transformative civic action, preparing teachers to foster genuine agency in their students. Full article

Few studies have examined how formal and non-formal learning contexts can be systematically combined within teacher professional development, particularly in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings where non-formal education remains underdeveloped. This study addresses this gap by presenting the development and implementation of a Teacher–Lesson–School (TLS)-Based Personalized Teacher Professional Development model (PTPD-model) aimed at enhancing teachers’ functional and digital literacy as a prerequisite for fostering similar competencies among students. The novelty of the model lies in integrating formal subject-based instruction with non-formal school education (clubs, workshops, and project formats), positioning teachers not only as participants in formal Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses but also as active agents of non-formal learning. The model draws upon international research frameworks, including the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the TLS approach, and the framework of Teacher Professional Development for Sustainable Development Goals (TPD for SDG). The study was conducted in 2023–2025 using a mixed, longitudinal, quasi-experimental design and a purposive sample (n= 80 teachers from 16 rural schools in Kazakhstan). A triangulated evaluation approach combined self-assessment and expert-based observations. The TLS-based PTPD model was implemented as a modular program with elements of coaching, personalization, and school-based projects. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in teachers’ digital and instructional competencies, lesson quality, and school-level engagement. This study provides one of the first systematic examinations of such integration in Central Asia, offering insights relevant to regional reforms, global education policy, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 (SDG 4.7). Full article

Integrating digital technologies into mathematics teaching remains a complex task for teachers, despite its recognized potential to enhance learning. Research on teacher professional development (TPD) for integrating technology in the mathematics classroom is therefore essential to inform the design of effective TPD programs. This narrative review aims to support researchers by providing an overview of theoretical frameworks employed in the literature on TPD for teaching mathematics with technology. Specifically, we address the following research questions: what theoretical frameworks are employed in research that focuses on TPD for teaching mathematics with technology? In what ways are these theoretical frameworks used? Drawing from a set of studies identified in a recent systematic review, we identify ten theoretical frameworks and classify their use into three categories: design tools, analytical tools, and instructional tools. While most frameworks are used to inform TPD design and data analysis, their use as reflective tools with teachers is less common. This review contributes to clarifying the role of theoretical frameworks in the field and suggests future research directions, including the exploration of their metacognitive potential in TPD settings and the comparison of multiple frameworks through networking. Full article

In the digital age, online teacher professional development (TPD) has become a key strategy for enhancing instructional quality and ensuring equitable access to continuous learning. This research compares and analyzes Chinese online teacher professional development (TPD) with the United States over a period of ten years, from 2014 to 2024. This study uses a mixed-methods approach based on policy documents, structured surveys, and interviews to investigate how governance regimes influence TPD outcomes for fair education. Both countries experienced a massive expansion of web-based TPD access and engagement, with participation rates over 75% and effectiveness scores over 4.3 by 2024. China focused on fast scaling by way of centralized mandates and investments in infrastructure, while the United States emphasized gradual expansion through decentralized, locally appropriate models. Most indicators had converged by the end of the period, even with these different approaches. Yet, qualitative evidence reveals persisting gaps in functional access and contextual appropriateness, especially in rural settings. Equality frameworks with attention to teacher agency, policy implementation, and digital usability must supplant weak access metrics. A hybrid paradigm presents itself as an attractive means toward building equitable and productive digital TPD environments through the symbiotic integration of China’s successful scalability and the United States’ professional autonomy. Full article

This study examined the effectiveness of an 18-week online blended teacher professional development program for Kenyan in-service teachers. Also, teachers received instruction on the use of an evidence-based early literacy software program for children. The 94 teachers completed two professional development training modules (alphabetics and fluency) and four surveys (one before and one after each module). Surveys assessed teachers’ confidence and knowledge consistent with the primary elements of the TPACK model (i.e., content, pedagogy, technology). Knowledge gains were observed for fluency content, but not alphabetics content. Across the program, there were gains in pedagogical knowledge and teachers’ confidence. Given the importance of technology in the present study, additional analyses involving intersections of key elements with technology were examined. Outcomes supported the importance of technological pedagogy for the overarching integrated TPACK model. Overall, the TPD and accompanying course material provided some support for teachers who struggle with literacy instruction. Full article

Teacher professional development (TPD) is a process that ensures that teachers acquire the skills necessary to address the complex needs of 21st century children. To this end, over the last decade, the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has undergone modifications, incorporating active and innovative methodologies in the study plans. Aligned with these principles, this research aims to evaluate the reforms implemented in Spanish universities for the initial training of early childhood education teachers. The opinions of 1048 future teachers from four Spanish universities were collected through a Likert-type questionnaire, measuring students’ perceptions of four factors: curricular design/planning, curricular implementation, evaluation strategies, and participation and interaction in the classroom. Perceptions on the first two factors are considered adequate and satisfactory, while problems persist in the third and fourth factors. Considering the results, we reflect on areas for improvement to provide early childhood education professionals with competencies in line with future roles and demands. Full article

Integrated language, science and technology (ILS&T) instruction is a complex task for primary school teachers that requires professional development. Task-centered educational approaches such as the four-component instructional design (4C/ID) model are well suited for the development of complex professional skills. This article describes the application of the Ten Steps approach to the 4C/ID model in the domain of teacher education. The findings describe a blueprint for a 4C/ID-based teacher professional development program aimed at equipping in-service primary school teachers with the competences for ILS&T instruction, which can support instructional designers, teacher educators and researchers in making informed instructional design decisions. Full article

Integrated STEM education (iSTEM) has attracted attention due to its potentialities regarding students’ learning and intentions to pursue STEM-related careers. However, although increasingly popular, iSTEM remains challenging and elusive, particularly from teachers’ perspective. This scenario became even more complex with the inclusion of “A”, from the Arts. Considering that the quality of teachers is decisive in the success of integrated STEAM education (iSTEAM), it is essential to provide teachers with opportunities to develop their Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for iSTEAM. In this work, the aim was to understand the effect of teacher professional development (TPD) within iSTEAM on the development of Physics teachers’ PCK related to the topic of “Electrical circuits with associations in series and parallel”. This study followed a pre-test/post-test design with a single group, which facilitates the subsequent comparison of participants’ reported PCK before and after their involvement in the TPD. The results showed that the TPD had a favorable impact on teachers’ PCK. The results of this study also contribute to defining a specific PCK for STEAM (STEAM-PCK). Full article

The aim of this article is to explore the role of teacher professional development (TPD) in relation to two experiences involving digital technology. Both studies were conducted at a single combined primary and secondary school and involved a total of 727 students. The first study consisted of an ex post facto analysis of attempts to improve student perception of the risks associated with inappropriate use of technology, while the second examined the possible benefits of gamified learning on mathematical fluency using a pre-test/post-test approach. The results reveal the lack of TPD in relation to both experiences, with teachers unable to overcome problems related to technology use and risk perception in the first case, and relegated to the role of mere implementers of an automated learning software product in the second. The conclusions highlight the contradiction between the image of technological innovation in schools and the reality of stasis in teaching practice, as well as the need for further research to assess and promote more effective TPD. Full article

Teachers are urged to provide differentiated instruction (DI), that is, deliberately adapting instruction to the learning needs of all students. DI can positively affect students’ academic achievement and their social and emotional development, as well as foster teacher job satisfaction. However, international research, as well as research in the Dutch context, has shown that teachers feel unprepared to provide DI. Hence, the development of teacher professional development (TPD) programs is necessary. In the current paper, the design of a TPD intervention to support DI is presented, in which the content and design approach were deliberately chosen. The intervention content was based on an analysis of the skills and knowledge expert teachers use when providing DI. The design of the intervention was based on the whole-task approach from the 4C/ID model to promote the transfer of learning, among other things. Based on the experiences of the teachers participating in the training pilot (n = 4), we provide our recommendations for future TPD for DI. The next step will be to study the effects of this TPD program on a larger scale to obtain insight into what design characteristics do or do not work, which can be used to further improve this TPD intervention. Full article

The ongoing process of digitalisation requires teachers not only to use technologies in their lessons to provide high quality opportunities for learning, but also to learn through this format themselves. In recent years, a new competence-based curriculum has been implemented in Latvia, introducing new content and paying attention to self-regulated learning (SRL) as one of the transversal skills. This requires appropriate teacher professional development (TPD) and the implementation of various digital solutions in teaching and learning, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the benefits of online learning and the importance of SRL skills for ensuring sustainable lifelong learning, an online TPD course was conducted to enhance teachers’ knowledge of SRL and self-efficacy in developing students’ SRL skills. The course was attended by 126 teachers of grades 7–12. The research analyses teachers’ self-evaluation of the impact of the online TPD course on their knowledge and skills in developing students’ SRL skills, and data prove that both teachers’ theoretical understanding and competence in developing students’ SRL skills can be significantly improved through this format of TPD. Full article

On the one hand, the pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for teachers all across the world; on the other, created opportunities for teacher professional development (TPD) as well. Furthermore, this educational emergency has uncovered the potential of digital technologies authentically and showcased its relation to the TPD and educational innovation. In this article, the concepts such as teacher agency, networked learning and reorganization are reexamined and theorized. The current article is a continuation of the research that has shed light on the TPD patterns and peer learning in the context of the pandemic and represents qualitative research covering 15 representatives of different-level schools from three different countries (Italy, Spain and Turkey), focusing on their experiences and future opportunities for TPD. Based on the said theorization, through iterative and abductive reasoning, and narrative inquiry, the lived experiences of teachers are examined and explored. The results indicate that in times of uncertainty and relaxation of macro-level frames, teachers have reorganized their teaching and learning activities relying on peer networks and collaboration while reinforcing their agentic qualities. The implications of the research contribute to the theory, policy and practice of TPD. Full article

This paper presents a case study of a decade-long technology-enabled teacher professional development (TPD) initiative for government-run school teachers in India. The TPD aimed at capacitating teachers in integrating project-based or constructivist learning with technology in curriculum and pedagogy. Teachers are central to the teaching–learning processes, and hence capacitating them to leverage digital technologies confidently is essential to improve the quality of education imparted to learners. This paper focuses on the use of innovative technologies leading to the education of teachers. A decade of TPD is divided into three phases providing an analytical framework for the evolving technologies and pedagogies across the phases. Documents, resources and tools used for the TPD activities, researchers’ first-hand experiences and documented research studies supported the comparative analysis of the three phases of TPD. This comparison highlighted leading-edge technologies influencing changes in TPD delivery mode, learning support, pedagogy, scale, etc., across the phases. The paper also maps the interrelationship between technologies and pedagogies of TPD, suggesting various features of innovations such as continuous, practice-based, collaborative, scalable, shareable, transferable, and adaptable. Full article

It is essential to reorient education in order to improve student learning outcomes and offer instruction in sustainable development. This reorientation should particularly focus on updating the educational concepts and behaviors of principals and teachers. It is a common practice to see principals’ instructional leadership (PIL) as a crucial aspect that may facilitate the development of teaching and learning in a sustainable manner. This article identified the influence path of principals’ instructional leadership on students’ academic achievement (SAA) through teachers’ teaching practice. In 2016 and 2017, survey data were gathered from 60,419 students and parents, 2232 teachers, and 506 principals from all 231 primary schools in the capital city of a central province in China. This paper uses a structural equation model to examine serial, multiple, mediating effects based on a value-added model to identify effective teachers’ professional development (ETPD). The research findings show that ETPD in Chinese primary schools includes teacher cooperation and communication but not professional guidance, innovation, and individual teaching reflection. PIL does not have a significant direct positive effect on SAA, but teaching strategies (TS), rather than ETPD, can mediate between PIL and SAA. Finally, PIL influences TS through ETPD and ultimately influences SAA. This paper argues that for providing sustainable and high-quality education, not all TPDs are effective for Chinese primary school teachers. Principals can promote SAA by encouraging teacher cooperation and communication to improve teaching strategies. Chinese principals should shift their attention more from administrative matters to the sustainable development of teaching and learning. Full article

Today, students at universities in advanced countries typically enroll in colleges, such as the College of Education, which offer interdisciplinary programs for undergraduates in their first and second years, allowing them to explore personal interests, experience educational research fields, complete their integrated curricula, and then choose a major in their third year. To cooperate with the government’s epidemic prevention policies and measures in the post-COVID-19 era, the trend of e-learning and distance teaching has accelerated the establishment of integrated online curricula with interdisciplinary programs for undergraduates in the College of Education to facilitate effective future teacher professional development (TPD). Therefore, it is very important to construct e-learning curricula evaluation metrics for competency-based teacher professional development (CB-TPD) and to implement them in teaching practice. This research used social network analysis (SNA) methods, approaches, and theoretical concepts, such as affiliation networks and bipartite graphs comprised of educational occupational titles and common professional competencies (i.e., Element Name and ID), as well as knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs), from the U.S. occupational information network (O*NET) 26.1 OnLine database, to collect data on the occupations of educational professionals. This study also used Gephi network analysis and visualization software to carry out descriptive statistics of keyword co-occurrences to measure their centrality metrics, including weighted degree centrality, degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality, and to verify their importance and ranking in professional competency in eight categories of educational professionals (i.e., three categories of special education teachers and five categories of teachers, except special education). The analysis of the centrality metrics identified the educational common professional competency (ECPC) keyword co-occurrences, which were then used to design, develop, and apply e-learning curricula evaluation metrics for CB-TPD. The results of this study can be used as a reference for conducting related academic research and cultivating educational professionals’ online curricula, including ECPC keywords, integrated curricula design and the development of transdisciplinary programs, and teacher education, as well as to facilitate the construction and application of future e-learning curricula evaluation metrics for CB-TPD. Full article