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The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to quickly mobilize toward emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL) practices. Teachers’ digital competences were essential in this context. This study aims to identify the ERTL practices adopted in Portugal and how they were perceived by teachers of students aged 3 to 18. Data were gathered through a questionnaire administered online during April and May 2020 to 329 teachers. ERTL was perceived as an opportunity to develop their own and their students’ digital competences. Teachers expressed a moderately positive view of the process and reported an experience of work overload. The pedagogical practices implemented by teachers during this period were diverse and differed according to gender, self-assessment of digital competence, and level of education taught. Results point to the importance of continued teacher training to achieve quality distance education.

The study explored challenges faced by teachers in provisioning equity and quality education to young children with special education needs in inclusive early childhood development (ECD) classes attached to primary schools in Chiredzi district, Zimbabwe. To uncover these barriers, researchers adopted the post-positivist paradigm which allowed use of multiple methods to uncover truth about the phenomenon. Mixed methods research approaches embedded in the pragmatic paradigm were utilised as they allowed the researchers to triangulate the data collected from the selected tools for valid and reliable results. Semi-structured questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, observations and document analysis were used as tools to gather data. The Social Justice Theory was used as a lens to unveil barriers of educational equity in inclusive ECD classes. The study uncovered a myriad of challenges experienced by ECD teachers and young learners in inclusive classes attached to primary schools. Some of the barriers identified included large class enrolments, overcrowding of classrooms, inadequate human and material resources, absence of ECD specific policies to curb exclusion of young learners with diverse learning needs. The paper concluded that, learners with special education needs were discriminated in various learning activities and treated differently by teachers and other learners. Such practices in ECD centres are against the dictates of educational inclusive policies which emphasise equitable learning opportunities for all learners, regardless of diversities. The paper recommends a holistic approach towards inclusive education programmes at ECD level, which prepare the young learners and teachers to look forward to a just society. The paper calls for an educational stakeholder capacitation programme to usher advocacy for fairness as a tool to improve the image of early childhood development inclusive settings.

As a result of the confinement due to the global pandemic of covid-19, teachers and students found themselves in the inevitable situation of suddenly moving from the traditional face-toface model to virtual environments, with the demand for new digital skills and computer resources. The purpose of this scientific article was to describe the digital teaching competence, the main problems that the educational community faced to join virtual environments, as well as the proposals that originated to perform expeditiously in this new modality. The research was based on a systematic review of scientific articles on digital teaching competence in virtual environments in the context of the pandemic, in the Scopus database, with the support of Redalyc, Scielo, Dialnet, Elsevier and Google Scholar. The results show that the digital teaching competence still does not present an optimal level, so the most recurring solution proposal is the training and development of the digital teaching competence. Since to date the direction followed by the actors involved in virtual learning is uncertain, this investigation culminates by proposing an alternative solution.

Digital integration in research work will allow knowledge to be updated and increased thanks to access to digital information in a much faster and more accessible way than years ago. Being this study part of a doctoral thesis, the main purpose was to assess the level of digital competence of teaching staff in research work. The specific objectives were: 1) to compare the level of competence according to the type of university (public and private) and according to gender (male and female); 2) to identify predictors for each type of teaching staff and gender. For this purpose, an ex post facto design and a sample of 1740 Higher Education teachers from all over Spain were used. The results showed that the level of competence was satisfactory, being slightly higher and significant in male teachers and those working in public universities. For teachers working in public universities, the level of creativity was identified as a significant predictor in both genders, while for female teachers working in private universities, predictors such as creativity, attitude towards new changes, percentage of time devoted to research and teaching experience were found. These findings highlight the need for Higher Education institutions, especially private ones, to develop training plans to improve digital competences, taking into account all the predictors that interfere with this research competence.

Research competence is essential for basic scientific literacy; if trained from early childhood, it enhances the ability of the learner to elaborate explanations, stemming from inquiry and following theoretical construction. So far, most of the research devoted on teachers’ research competence has been focused on theoretical questions. Thus, the objective of this work is to get 208 student teachers to estimate their research competence and to compare it to their actual performance. Students' perceptions were measured using a questionnaire that referred to the skills and abilities included in the research competence. Their real performance was assessed through four specific tasks, which mobilized the four types of thinking required for the development of this competence: comprehensive, critical, creative and metacognitive. The results show that students' beliefs do not generally adjust to their real performance and that therefore they are unaware of their training needs, which is essential for learning to learn.

In the ever-evolving digital era of the 21st century, the realm of education stands at the precipice of transformation. This comprehensive review synthesizes a series of scholarly articles that delve into the pivotal role of enhancing teacher qualifications in shaping a dynamic and effective pedagogical landscape. The synthesis encompasses multifaceted dimensions, each contributing to the symphony of educational excellence. Academic qualifications, pedagogical strategies, and nurturing relationships emerge as foundational pillars, while the fusion of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) underpins innovative teaching approaches. The review further illuminates the significance of Industry 4.0 expertise, emphasizing the necessity of special qualifications to navigate the evolving digital milieu. Training emerges as a crucible for forging comprehensive competencies, including pedagogical, professional, personal, and social dimensions, while positive work behavior enriches the educational tapestry with values and ethics. Adequate welfare and lifelong learning converge to empower educators, catalyzing optimal performance and nurturing a culture of continuous growth. This synthesis underscores the transformative potential of educator qualifications and competencies, offering insights that resonate with the trajectory of modern education and shape the future of learning.

This paper presents the results of a study that sought to analyze conditions and challenges in the research training of students of teaching. To this end, a questionnaire was administered to 299 students and interviews were conducted with 8 professors of courses aimed at strengthening research skills. A linear regression model and multilevel model were used to analyze quantitative data, while textual analysis was used for qualitative information. The results show that a system of favorable beliefs and conceptions about research, student profiles upon entry to the university, and curriculum structure all play an important role in developing skills. Also linked to research training are the form of study and the academic level and research performance of professors.

Improving trainee teachers’ digital and literary competence by designing multimodal constellations is the key objective of this research. The structured observation of this teaching intervention and the questionnaires administered for analysis (n = 138) offer relevant data that validate the value of this practice for future teachers. Following a cross-sectional descriptive approach, this research employs measures of central tendency (means and standard deviations) and bivariate analyses (Student’s t tests) with two mixed questionnaires. The internal consistency of the instruments used (α = .737) confirms their rigor as a tool for analysis. The results obtained show that including multimodal constellations in the classroom as a reading practice improves the teaching and learning of essential skills in teacher training.

The new profile of a university professor, which places a greater focus on students’ learning and needs, is driving a new architecture for university tutorship. This study describes the validation of a scale to measure the tutoring skills of faculty members from the perspective of students. A total of 622 students from the University of Murcia participated in the research and confirmatory factor analysis was performed with the collected data. The results demonstrate the suitability of the theoretical model put forward, which comprises four dimensions (informing and adaptation; group management and support; educational and professional guidance; continuous monitoring of students), and show that the importance of these skills is perceived to be greater than the development of these same skills by professors (p < .05). This allows us to conclude by confirming the importance of furthering knowledge of these types of skills with a view to the continuous improvement of university tutoring.

This article explores the use of humor at the university teaching‐learning process. A questionnaire was given to 42 university instructors from different departments. To collect information about sex, university teaching experience, use of humor in the classroom, benefits or difficulties faced, prior training on the topic, and a brief description of some valuable experience. The development of the sense of humor in these teachers, as a personal quality, was also evaluated through the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS) of Thorson, Powell, Sarmany‐Schuller and Hampes and validated for Spanish speakers by Carbelo. The findings corroborate of contributions of different researchers in other social and cultural contexts; reflect the valuable experiences of Cuban teachers in the use of humor as a didactic resource in an empirical and intuitive way, but effectively. The development of the sense of humor as a personal quality at different levels of development was also found in teachers, as potential to improve and systematize the use of this didactic resource.

This paper aims at identifying the main key competencies and indicators of the didactic‐methodological dimension of the English‐to be‐teachers in Camaguey. The theoretical systematization was used to build a rationale off the didactic‐methodological dimension. An analysis of the English syllabuses was carried out to evaluate how the competencies and indicators are implied in the formative process. A survey to first‐year students was used to examine how the Integrated English lessons impact on their didactic‐methodological training. The main result of the paper has to deal with the didactic instrumentation of the key competencies and indicators in the language classroom.

Digital technologies have served as a loudspeaker for communication and collaboration, providing us a situation where communicating and collaborating is becoming easier and faster. Is our communication better? How do we collaborate when we learn? Based on the analysis of the influence of communicative and collaborative processes on teaching work from an educomunicational perspective, this article provides a multidisciplinary overview of the advantages of communicative and collaborative competences in the teaching-learning processes of teachers. For this purpose, a documentary analysis has been carried out, providing a detailed view of the fields that teacher qualifications in communication and collaboration must deal with.

Abstract: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kontribusi antara kualifikasi guru dan sarana prasarana terhadap kegiatan pembelajaran, pengaruhnya terhadap on the job training siswa dan soft skill siswa, dan OJT siswa terhadap soft skill siswa kelas industri di SMK Jawa Timur. Pendekatan penelitian yang digunakan adalah kuantitatif dengan metode survei dengan rancangan penelitian korelasional yang dikembangkan dengan model struktural. Sampel yang digunakan sebanyak 203 guru yang mengajar di kelas industri TBSM di 19 SMK Jawa Timur. Pengumpulan data di angket. Data dianalisis deskriptif dan structrual equation modeling. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa (1) ada kontribusi yang signifikan antara kualifikasi guru terhadap kegiatan pembelajaran kelas industri; (2) ada kontribusi yang signifikan antara sarana prasarana terhadap kegiatan pembelajaran kelas industri; (3) ada kontribusi yang signifikan antara kegiatan pembelajaran terhadap OJT siswa kelas industri; (4) ada kontribusi yang siginifikan antara kegiatan pembelajaran terhadap soft skill siswa kelas industri; (5) ada kontribusi yang signifikan antara OJT terhadap soft skill siswa kelas industri di SMK Jawa Timur. Abstrak: This study aims to determine the contribution between teacher qualifications and infrastructure on learning activities, their influence on students 'on the job training and soft skills, and OJT students on industrial soft students' skills in East Java Vocational Schools. The research approach used is quantitative with survey methods with correlational research designs developed with structural models. The sample used was 203 teachers who taught in the TBSM industrial class in 19 East Java Vocational Educaion. Data collection in questionnaires. Data were analyzed descriptively and structural equation modeling. The results of the study show that (1) there is a significant contribution between teacher qualifications to industrial class learning activities; (2) there is a significant contribution between infrastructure facilities for industrial class learning activities; (3) there is a significant contribution between learning activities towards OJT industrial class students; (4) there is a significant contribution between learning activities on soft skills of industrial students; (5) there is a significant contribution between OJT on industrial soft skills of students in East Java Vocational Education.

In a previous study Moodley, Kritzinger and Vinck (2014) found that formal English Additional Language (EAL) instruction contributed significantly better to listening and speaking skills in Grade R learners, than did a play-based approach. The finding in multilingual rural Mpumalanga schools was in agreement with numerous studies elsewhere. Additional extraneous variables such as teachers’ first language, qualifications, age and experience, and learners’ first language and gender may also relate to EAL performance. The aim of the present study has been to determine whether these variables were significantly associated with learners’ EAL performance scores. A matched two group comparison study was conducted, utilising 175 learners and 10 teachers from isiNdebele, isiZulu, Sepedi, siSwati and Xitsonga first language backgrounds. The English Language Proficiency standards assessment tool was used. Learners of IsiNdebele teachers and young qualified teachers performed better than other learners. Learners with isiNdebele as first language performed better than learners from other languages. No association between gender and learner performance was found. The advantage of isiNdebele speaking teachers and learners in EAL teaching and learning may relate to the many borrowed phonemes and words from English. Further research is required to strengthen the evidence.

A growing number of teachers have undertaken National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification training since its inception over twenty-five years ago. Previous empirical research on the impact of NBCTs on student performance has focused on state or district-level exams in individual states and found mixed results. This study examines the relationship between National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and student achievement on the reading and math assessments of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). We argue that achievement can be affected both directly by the certified teacher and indirectly as NBCTs provide mentoring to colleagues and assume school leadership positions. This study focuses on a nationally representative assessment to measure student achievement rather than state- or district-level assessment exams. We find that the percentage of National Board certified teachers in a state is positively related to scores on state-level NAEP Reading and Math assessments.

This study explored the link between teachers’ inputs and students’ academic achievement in the JSC Mathematics for the period 2006 to 2010. One hundred and fifty secondary schools selected from 573 secondary schools in the country constituted the target population. One hundred and sixty-four JSC mathematics teachers from the 150 secondary schools participated in the study, with the final JSC Mathematics results of the students serving as the dependent variable of the study. Mathematics teachers’ input data (academic qualifications, teaching experience and subject specialisation) were collected from a questionnaire developed by the researchers. Standard multiple regression was used to analyse the link between teachers’ inputs and students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics at P < 0.05and P < 0.10 respectively. The study found that teachers’ academic qualifications and subject specialisation had a significant and positive relationship with students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics. Teachers’ gender, however, was not significantly related to students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics. This is the first time within the Namibian context that we have empirically demonstrated the link between teachers’ inputs and students’ academic achievement in JSC Mathematics. The study therefore provides support for the policy initiatives that seek to link teachers’ academic qualifications, subject specialisation and teaching experience to employment and classroom allocation.

Given the importance of teachers to student learning, it is important to understand how and why charter schools differ in terms of their human capital. This paper explores the following questions: How do teacher qualifications and characteristics vary across school types? How much choice do teachers feel they have about where to work? How do teacher preferences for where to work differ by school type? Our findings suggest that charter school teachers do have different preferences for where to work compared to traditional public school teachers, but understanding these differences requires exploring differences among types of charter schools as well.

A number of recent policy initiatives, including NCLB's highly qualified teacher provisions, have sought to improve the qualifications of teachers and their distribution across schools. Little is known, however, about the impact of these policies. In this study, we use population data on teachers and schools in Illinois to examine changes in the level and distribution of teacher qualifications from 2001 to 2006. We find that schools in Chicago, especially those serving the highest percentages of low-income and minority students, experienced the greatest improvements in teacher qualifications during the period. In addition, high-poverty schools in most other locales in the state registered small to moderate improvements, which narrowed the gap in teacher qualifications between high- and low-poverty schools across Illinois. Improvements in the certification status of experienced teachers and the recruitment of new teachers with stronger academic qualifications both contributed to these gains. The results reveal a tradeoff for disadvantaged schools seeking to improve both teacher qualifications and teacher experience levels, thereby calling into question the near-term feasibility of NCLB provisions that aim to simultaneously eliminate inequities across schools in both.

Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110, 115 Stat. 1245, 2002) holds schools accountable for reducing the academic achievement gap between the different ethnic groups and requires elementary school teachers to have at least a bachelors degree and a state certification. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the qualification requirement of NCLB to the goal of reducing the academic achievement gap. The study found that students with a certified teacher for most of their early school experience scored higher in reading than students who did not have a certified teacher. In addition, certification was associated with slightly narrowing the academic gap between African American and European American students across early elementary grades.