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A principal's technology leadership (TL) practices can facilitate information and communication technologies (ICT) integration into K-12 schools, alongside a drastic change in teachers' organizational behaviors to accompany this technological and cultural transformation process. However, there is little evidence of which TL practices contribute to such a holistic change in school culture; that is, the learning organization (LO) culture stimulating teachers' individual and collective professional learning orientations in tandem. The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first is to identify distinct profiles of LO culture in schools, based on teachers' professional learning orientations. The second is to explore how a principal's TL practices are related to teachers' endorsement of these LO profiles. Data were drawn from 1105 teachers and 58 principals in 69 K-12 schools in Turkey. Multilevel latent profile analysis was used to uncover latent LO profiles with similar professional learning orientations. The resulting profiles were regressed on principals' TL practices, measured against the International Society for Technology in Education-Administrators (ISTE-A) standards. Teachers' professional learning orientations fell into high, moderate, and low-level LO profiles. The "systemic improvement" ISTE-A standard, including TL practices such as a principal's data-driven decision making, school benchmarking, and technology-oriented staff employment, proved to be a significant predictor of a high-level LO profile. The school stage and teacher's age were also found to be associated with that profile. Overall, we conclude that TL practices may have far-reaching implications for teachers' professional learning orientations and school culture.

This study investigated the effectiveness of clinical simulations (CS) as an instructional strategy to prepare student teachers to conduct parent-teacher conferences. A pre-test/post-test study was set up in order to study the impact of online (n = 181) and face-to-face CS (n = 95) on student teachers' parent-teacher communication competence (PTCC). Assessment of PTCC development was based on a video-based instrument and a self-efficacy scale. Results suggested that both types of CS are effective instructional strategies to improve student teachers' PTCC. Both student teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and situation-specific skills regarding parent-teacher communication improved. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Educating student teachers to teach highly diverse groups of pupils has become one of the central tasks of teacher education programmes. Research on inclusive education has pointed to the need for more studies around student teachers' inclusive teaching competence. This study explores the extent to which student teachers' beliefs and self-efficacy related to inclusive teaching practices predict their professional vision of two inclusive classrooms' characteristics being (1) teacher-student interactions (TSI) and (2) differentiated instruction (DI). The data were collected from a sample of 1397 student teachers in Flemish primary teacher education institutions (N = 8). The video and survey data were combined through multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that student teachers' constructivist beliefs and self-efficacy in inclusive instruction contribute to the development of their professional vision of TSI and DI. The results are discussed with recommendations for teacher education programmes on inclusive teaching practices.

Previous research has pointed at the pivotal role of professional collegial support relationships to keep beginning teachers in the profession. In this study, we build on previous research by using follow-up mixed-method social network data to explore (1) to what extent, in what ways and for which reasons beginning teachers' work-related network (position) changes throughout a school year, and (2) how the network (position) of beginning teachers influences their job attitudes, as important precursors of teacher retention. Five follow-up case-studies of beginning teachers and their school teams were explored. The network data showed that some teachers had a central and stable position in their team, while others were more peripheral and showed considerable changes in their work-related relations. The interviews with the beginning teachers revealed several reasons for the formation, loss and retention of their work-related ties, such as physical proximity, network intentionality and the presence of a staffroom. Finally, the results indicated that the professional support in these work-related ties can play an important role in beginning teachers' job attitudes, or can act as a mitigating factor in case of experienced challenges. In this respect, the structural and cultural conditions needed for teachers to professionally connect require our attention.

A major area of interest within the field of professional development is the concept of motivation. However, research explaining how to enhance motivation in participants during training is scarce. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this study aimed to gain insight into the design approaches of professional development initiatives in higher education. Based on semi-structured interviews with 16 Ecuadorian university authorities in charge of professional development, design features that likely satisfy or frustrate university teachers' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness were identified. Results pointed to a stronger, yet limited focus on the needs for autonomy and competence, when compared to the need of relatedness. These findings are expected to initiate a discussion on guidelines aimed at enhancing the motivation of professional development participants and to respond to calls for design approaches centred on the learner.

This study explores whether the relationship between departmental leadership (i.e. group-oriented and development-oriented departmental leadership) and the interpersonal characteristics of professional learning communities (PLC) (i.e. collective responsibility and reflective dialogue) varies between departments, depending on whether teachers display traditional or constructivist beliefs. The data were collected from 197 teachers in 30 departments in 26 Flemish (Belgian) secondary schools via an online teacher survey and then analysed using multi-group path analyses. The results show no differences depending on teachers' educational beliefs. However, teachers with a group-oriented departmental leader experience more collective responsibility and report a higher frequency of reflective dialogue in their department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study (carried out between 2011 and 2013) about the adoption and implementation of learning paths within a Learning Management System (LMS). Sixteen secondary school biology teachers of the GO! Network in Flanders (an urbanized region in Belgium) were involved in the study and questioned via semi-structured interviews. Two research questions are addressed: (1) what are the perceived conditions at school and at teacher level affecting the use of learning paths? (2) how are these conditions related to the expected outcomes? Research results show teachers are satisfied with learning paths as an educational tool, but reflect mixed feelings as to the impact on student learning outcomes. Clear barriers are identified at the school and teacher level, thwarting the implementation of learning paths in secondary education. The availability of a reliable and accessible ICT infrastructure, the quality of technical and pedagogical support, teacher professional development and the mastery of teacher Information and Communication Technology competencies, among others, were found to be essential.

Teacher attrition is a global concern that is particularly prevalent among beginning teachers. Teachers' intrinsic motivation to teach, affective organisational commitment and job satisfaction are considered job attitudes that stop them from dropping out of the profession. This study explores the interplay between factors at the school level (i.e. transformational leadership of the principal, professional collegial support) and the teacher level (i.e. self-efficacy) influencing these job attitudes. A sample of 292 first-year primary-school teachers participated. The results of the path analysis demonstrated that transformational leadership of the principal is directly related to teachers' job attitudes in a positive way. Moreover, transformational leadership of the principal is also indirectly related to these attitudes, via both professional collegial support and teachers' self-efficacy. Implications for the supportive role of the principal in the teachers' first year in the profession are discussed.

It is important to reveal strategies which foster students' reading motivation in order to break through the declining trend in reading motivation throughout children's educational careers. Consequently, the present study advances an underexposed field in reading motivation research by studying and identifying the strategies of teachers excellent in promoting fifth-grade students' volitional or autonomous reading motivation through multiple case study analysis. Data on these excellent teachers were gathered from multiple sources (interviews with teachers, SEN coordinators, and school leaders; classroom observations; teacher and student questionnaires) and analysed. The results point to the teaching dimensions of autonomy support, structure, and involvement--as indicated by self-determination theory--as well as to reading aloud as critical strategies to promote students' autonomous reading motivation in the classroom. A school culture supporting students' and teachers' interest in reading is also an essential part of reading promotion. The theoretical and practical significance of the study is discussed.

In research on teacher induction, scholars have pointed at the pivotal role of collegial support to overcome the challenges inherent to the first years of teaching. In this quantitative study, we extend current work by using a social network perspective to examine characteristics (i.e. network size, frequency and perceived usefulness) of professional, emotional, and social collegial support networks. Moreover, we explore the extent to which these characteristics explain key factors affecting teacher retention, namely job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation to teach, and self-efficacy. An online survey was completed by 292 beginning primary school teachers in Flanders (Belgium). Social network data showed that, on average, they receive professional, emotional and social support from six colleagues each week and found this mostly useful. Regression analyses demonstrated that network size and perceived usefulness of professional, emotional, and social collegial support networks were positively related to job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation to teach, thus confirming the importance of collegial support in teacher induction. Frequency of support was not significant. Finally, no substantial relationship was found between collegial support and teachers' self-efficacy. Implications of these findings for practice and policy are discussed.

Grounded in the Self-Determination Theory, this study examines the relations between teacher educators' experienced work pressure and opportunities for professional growth, their work related basic needs satisfaction (i.e. autonomy, competence and relatedness) and their researcherly disposition (i.e. being a smart consumer of research, being able to conduct research, conducting research and valuing research). A large-scale survey study was conducted, involving 944 teacher educators working within teaching-intensive teacher education institutions. The results of SEM-analyses show that teacher educators' opportunities for growth as well as the experienced work pressure are significantly related to the satisfaction of teacher educators' basic psychological needs at work. In turn, positive relations were identified between the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs and teacher educators' researcherly disposition.

A crucial competence for mentor teachers is the ability to analyse classroom practices as they are expected to model effective teaching practices and to provide feedback to student teachers. This ability is referred to in the literature as professional vision. The present study assesses mentor teachers' (n = 137) professional vision regarding teacher-student interactions and differentiated instruction, using a validated video-based comparative judgement measurement instrument. The results indicate that mentor teachers have a high professional vision. It can thus be assumed that mentor teachers can support student teachers. Additionally, their professional vision is compared with that of classroom teachers (n = 996) and student teachers (n = 2168), expecting it to be significantly higher than that of classroom teachers and student teachers. The results show no significant difference between mentor teachers and classroom teachers but a significant difference between mentor teachers and student teachers. Hence, mentor teachers and classroom teachers are equally able to identify and interpret crucial aspects of effective teaching behaviour and both groups are better able than student teachers in this regard. This study contributes to the current state of the art on mentor teachers from a theoretical, empirical and methodological point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: (1) To identify, evaluate and summarize evidence about the objectives and characteristics of mentoring programmes for specialized nurses (SNs) or nurse navigators (NNs) and advanced practice nurses (APNs) and (2) to identify the effectiveness of these programmes. Design: A systematic review based on PRISMA guidelines. Data Sources: From November 2022 until 7 December 2022, four databases were searched: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library. Review Methods: Study selection was performed independently by two researchers. Disagreements were discussed until consensus was reached. Data extraction was undertaken for included studies. Data synthesis was conducted using narrative analysis. Quality appraisal was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Results: Twelve articles were included, all of which focused on mentoring programmes for APNs. Different forms of mentorship (e.g. (in)formal mentorship, work shadowing, workshops) were reported. Studies reported positive outcomes on job retention (n = 5), job satisfaction (n = 6), skills improvement (n = 7), satisfaction with the programme (n = 7) and confidence improvement (n = 4) among participants of mentoring programmes. Conclusion: There is a lack of uniformity and consistency in various elements of mentoring programmes. Further research is needed to develop mentoring programmes for both APNs and SNs/NNs in a systematic and theoretically underpinned manner. It is necessary to establish a thorough evaluation methodology, preferably using a mixed methods design that includes both a qualitative process evaluation and a comprehensive outcome evaluation using validated questionnaires, taking into account the NN/APN, the interprofessional team and organizational level. Impact: The synthesis of evidence may be useful to organizations developing and implementing mentoring programmes for both SN/NN and APN. The development of a mentoring programme for nursing experts should be considered a complex intervention that requires theoretical frameworks and contextual considerations. No Patient or Public Contribution: Not applicable, as no patients or public were involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher educators play a crucial part in preparing student teachers for teaching in diversity. Because of their modelling role, they automatically convey messages about approaching diversity via their practices. In this study, we look into these—often hidden—messages of teacher educators to uncover the discourses that inform and are being reproduced by how they talk about (approaching) diversity. We critically analyse how such discourses relate to reducing inequalities in education. Critical discourse analysis was conducted on interview data (n = 14) about teacher educators' perceptions about diversity and practices to approach diversity. The findings suggest two main discourses. First, a power-challenging discourse compels all teacher educators to take responsibility to reduce inequalities. Secondly, a power-affirming discourse tempers their beliefs about their agency and responsibility regarding the matter. This latter discourse is mainly manifested via statements that perpetuate existing exclusionary mechanisms. Most teacher educators seem to combine both discourses. We argue that the simultaneous use of both creates paradoxical narratives which are unproductive to foster responsiveness to diversity for teacher educators and their student teachers. This study adds to the literature on a theoretical and practical level. Raising teacher educators' awareness of their messages could prove powerful in combating inequalities in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating teachers' professional development initiatives (PDI) is one of the main challenges for the teacher professionalisation field. Although different studies have focused on the effectiveness of PDI, the obtained effects and evaluative methods have been found to be widely divergent. By means of a narrative review, this study provides an extended framework to guide the evaluation of (the effectiveness of) PDI. Furthermore, and in accordance with this framework, an overview of measurement instruments that are currently in use is provided. The study concludes with implications for educational research and developers of PDI.

This study reports on the design of a video-based instrument to assess student teachers' parent-teacher communication competences (PTCC) in a reliable and valid way. PTCC refer to the competences needed to communicate successfully with parents during conversations such as parent-teacher conferences. Taking into account both conceptual and methodological challenges regarding the measurement of competences, several methodological steps were followed to design a video-based instrument focusing on the assessment of student teachers' perception, interpretation and decision-making skills (PID skills) regarding parent-teacher communication: designing video vignettes presenting realistic job situations regarding parent-teacher communication; developing instructions to elicit student teachers' PID skills; designing a coding scheme to analyse student teachers' responses; and implementing the instrument (n = 269) to test and refine it. This ultimately resulted in an instrument consisting of (1) three video vignettes, (2) a series of open-ended questions eliciting student teachers' PID skills, and (3) three coding schemes to develop a perception score, an interpretation score and a decision-making score for PTCC. The (4) implementation of the instrument confirmed that this innovative video-based tool might be a promising approach to assess student teachers' PTCC. To conclude, the quality and contribution of the measurement instrument and the implications for further research are discussed.

The outcomes of an international collaborative project are presented, involving experienced teacher educators and researchers from eight different countries, who engaged in a series of structured discussions on the professional development of teacher educators. We start with an overview of the needs in practice and policy, as well as the research interests, making structured opportunities for teacher educator development necessary. As a first outcome, we present a model to conceptualise teacher educator development, grounded in a study of the international literature and the systematic critical discussion of its findings by the participants in the project. The model facilitates international (research) collaboration, mapping and guiding initiatives in policy and practice by providing both an overview of the complexities of teacher educator development and a language to discuss them. The second--structural-outcome is the establishment of InFo-TED--the International Forum for Teacher Educator Development.

Taking into account the pressing need to understand more about what teacher educators' professional development characterises, this article adopts a mixed method approach to explore Flemish (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) teacher educators' professional development needs and opportunities. Analysis results of a large-scale survey study with 611 teacher educators and analysis of five qualitative focus groups (with 24 teacher educators) are presented. The results confirm the lack of attention for teacher educators' professional development in the Flemish teacher education system. Moreover, the findings indicate a structural need for participation in professional development activities that are linked to teacher educators' own practices, organised as long-term sustainable professional development trajectories, and formally recognised. To conclude, a professional development agenda for research, policy and practices related to teacher educators' professional development is discussed.

Teachers in secondary vocational education face challenges in interdisciplinary teaching due to their traditional teacher education within specific subject domains. Collaborative efforts—like those implemented in Teacher Design Teams (TDTs)—can prepare and support teachers for interdisciplinary teaching. Research has demonstrated the factors determining the effectiveness of TDTs. However, it is noted that the sustainable continuation of TDTs remains uncertain over the years. This research investigates the conditions that facilitate the sustainability of TDTs within the context of interdisciplinary teaching. Over the course of three school years, this qualitative study monitored 14 teachers participating in four TDTs within the context of an interdisciplinary vocational education course. During the initial two school years, the TDTs received external support from the main researcher, transitioning to an autonomous operation in the third school year. A yearly interview with each participating teacher and meeting reports were collected and analysed with thematic analysis. One of the main findings reveals that while the internal coach contributes to supporting TDTs' progress, the support of the school leader is particularly crucial for sustainability. Although this study focused on school-based TDTs, it underscores the importance of support from outside the school for TDTs' sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure inclusion and equity in education, both teacher beliefs and practice are cited as influential. However, the connection between beliefs on student diversity and inclusive practice is often more complex than straightforward. Professional vision is theorised to be important in aligning beliefs with practice. Hence, this study investigates whether teachers' professional vision of differentiated instruction (DI) mediates between teachers' beliefs about teaching diverse learners and teachers' practice of DI, and is unique in investigating these constructs in concert with each other. Data are part of the Potential-project and were collected in a sample of secondary education teachers (N = 461) in Flemish schools (N = 23). Survey data measuring teachers' beliefs (i.e. growth mindset, professional beliefs about diversity and about differentiating the curriculum) and teachers' self-reported DI practice were combined with video-based comparative judgement data measuring teachers' professional vision of DI. Multilevel models show that both teachers with a more expert professional vision and less expert professional vision implement DI. For a more expert professional vision, beliefs about teaching diverse learners explain the association. For a less expert professional vision, teachers' reflective and experimental practice explains the relationship. Results suggest that aspects of teachers' competence are related in more complex ways than linear theoretical frameworks propose. Implications for teacher training and professionalisation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present an embedded case study focused on the learning activities provided for and by us through our involvement in an international forum focused on the professional development of teacher educators. The aim of this research was to gain more insight into the complicated processes of professional learning across national borders. Data included personal narratives about learning and documentary analysis of written accounts of the forums' activities. Following a collaborative self-study approach we utilised an interactive exploration of the data, using coding techniques derived from grounded theory. We conclude that our professional learning can be seen through two inter-related perspectives. The first perspective is the interplay between our own learning and the ways in which we want to support colleagues in their professional development. The second perspective is the reciprocal effect of working in national as well as in transnational contexts. By studying our professional learning processes we developed insights into how a shared communal international forum can be established without losing individual voices and national perspectives. Moreover, through our involvement in an international forum we also continue to develop our own self-understanding as 'educators of teacher educators'.

Introduction: The first part of the worldwide lockdown starting in March 2020 forced teachers in higher education to implement emergency remote teaching (ERT) in an online learning environment. Some students appreciated the autonomy they acquired and the appeal to their self-discipline. Other students, preferring structure and guidelines, perceived these new learning circumstances as ambiguous and unclear. Pressing circumstances, such as a pandemic forcing students into a new learning environment, pose a challenge to their academic motivation. On that premise, this study suggests that the sudden change of learning environment following ERT report an impact on the fulfillment of the basic psychological needs of learners and consequently, on their motivation. More concretely, we hypothesized that this new learning environment had a demotivating effect on students' motivation. The central question in this research is therefore "To what extent did students' motivation shift with ERT.". Methods: This embedded mixed method study, where one dataset (qualitative) plays a secondary role in a study that is primarily based on the other dataset (quantitative), consists of two measurement points: academic motivation was measured among students from the Royal Military Academy (RMA), before the WHO's declaration of the pandemic (T1, December 2019) and during the pandemic (T2, June 2020). To measure autonomous motivation, we used the Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-L). To measure satisfaction and frustration for autonomy, relatedness, and competence, we used the Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFP). To identify new issues not captured in the closed questions, the survey at T2 included a qualitative second part with one open-ended question. Results: When comparing pre-pandemic to pandemic academic motivation results by a repeated-measure analysis, we found that the first college year students' motivation was the most negatively affected, followed by that of the second college year students. In addition, by using a multiple regression, we found that ERT affected perceived competence suggesting that lower perceived competence contributes to a lower academic motivation. Discussion: Based on these results, this study underlines the importance of assessing learners' sense of competence before immersing them into an online learning environment or changing their learning environment in any other way. This study implies that higher education teachers should provide students with the necessary knowledge to use self-regulatory strategies, encourage self-discipline to improve learning outcomes and endorse a role of helpful coach with the possibility of interaction. By doing so, higher education teachers can meet students' basic needs and can keep autonomous motivation as high as possible among learners. This study adds to the literature insights that can help to optimize educational practices and set up classroom-wide interventions during teacher training so that teachers can facilitate these skills among their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the dyadic and multi-layered nature of professional relations, informal teacher learning mostly goes through complex, non-linear, and context-dependent professional interactions. Advice-seeking relationships (ASRs) are the most common form of informal interactions between teachers. However, due mostly to analytical constraints, little is known about the factors influencing ASRs in school settings. The paper aims to provide an empirical base for understanding the informal leadership exercised through between-teacher ASRs around technological and pedagogical expertise. To that end, inferential social network analysis (SNA) techniques are employed. Results showed teacher perception of positive school culture promotes pedagogical ASRs. Administrative leadership is significant in one-way advice flows from administrators to subordinates. Interpersonal similarities by gender and teaching experience are influential in peer selection for ASRs. Hybrid-expertise teachers, being equally headed for technological and pedagogical advice, occupy more central position in advice-networks. Regardless of school culture, technology-savvy teachers are more preferred for ASRs. The more teachers provide colleagues with technological advice, the more they assume a leading position for pedagogical advice, but not vice versa. Overall, the present SNA study sheds light on relational complexities of teacher leadership for professional learning that otherwise might not be salient when investigated using linear models on individual metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly all of today's Western teenagers have a profile on a social network site (SNS). As many risks have been reported, researchers and governments have emphasized the role of school education to teach teenagers how to deal safely with SNSs. However, little is known about the specific characteristics which would make interventions effective. Therefore, the overall objective of this research aims to propose a list of validated theoretical design principles for future development of educational materials about risks on SNSs. This research goal was pursued through a design-based research procedure. Thereby targeting teenagers of secondary education in eight separate studies, the different steps of the design-based research procedure have iteratively been completed. Firstly, a problem analysis was executed through three explorative studies, including an observational study, a theoretical evaluation of existing materials and a survey study. Secondly, initial solutions were developed and evaluated in practice through five quasi-experimental intervention studies. Thirdly, we reflected upon all the previous results to produce design principles. Finally, we conclude with an analysis of the design-based research methodology.

This study reports on the development of a self-reported measurement instrument--The Teacher Educators' Researcherly Disposition Scale (TERDS)--to improve understanding of teacher educators' researcherly disposition. Teacher educators' researcherly disposition refers to the habit of mind to engage with research--both as consumers and producers--to improve their practice and contribute to the knowledge base on teacher education. Taking into account the shortcomings of the emerging field of teacher educator professional development research (which is largely confined to small-scale, qualitative studies), a large-scale quantitative survey study (n?=?944) was conducted. The first part of the article reports the results of factor analysis (EFA and CFA), which suggest a four-factor structure of teacher educators' researcherly disposition: (1) "valuing research" (a?=?0.86), (2) "being a smart consumer of research" (a?=?0.89), (3) "being able to conduct research" (a?=?0.82), and (4) "conducting research" (a?=?0.87). Goodness of fit estimates were calculated, indicating good fit. The second part of the article explores differences in teacher educators' researcherly disposition across several subgroups of teacher educators using the developed instrument. Results indicate that having research experience leads to significantly higher scores on each of the subscales. Furthermore, significantly higher scores were found for those with more than 3 years' experience as a teacher educator, as well as for those without (prior) teaching experience in compulsory education. To conclude, the implications for further research and practices related to teacher educators' professional development are discussed.

This special issue recognizes EAPRIL as being a platform for practitioner and practice-based research and by organizing the 10th annual conference for practitioner research on improving learning in education and professional practice. Papers in this conference and in this special issue are rooted in practice-based research or practitioner research. They reflect the popularity of practitioner research in vocational teacher education and in universities of applied sciences. Reason enough for the authors of the current paper to reflect on the question: "What is practitioner research?" And, more importantly what makes good practitioner research? Reviews show that people use broad interpretations of the concept, which requires that to clarify the epistemological basis of the relation between research and practice the reflections goes back to Aristotle philosophy. The latter, aiming at discovering what kind of knowledge is obtained, what purpose it serve, and how it differs. This yields a theoretical, and two practical kinds of knowledge. Although all three are relevant, the so called "practitioner knowledge" (the prhonesis and the techne), need more attention in judging the "goodness" of practitioner research. Five principles of validation are mentioned, e.g. the process of meaning making and negotiation, differing from the correspondence between knowledge and the outside world, e.g. validity. These principles provide a possible angle and sometimes researcher follow them implicitly and unconsciously. The articles in this special issue reflects the realisation of many of these principles within the individual studies. The current paper does not intent to give final answers, but rather to trigger a further conversation on the fundamental question of: What is good practitioner research?

The current study aims to explore ICT integration in Turkish K-12 schools purposively selected as a representation of F@tih and non-F@tih public schools together with a private school. A convergent mixed methods design was employed with a multiple case strategy as such it will enable to make casewise comparisons. The quantitative data was collected through e-capacity measurement scales. Concurrently, the qualitative data was gathered through three open-ended questions. The evaluation results illustrate that a private school outperformed all public schools, including F@tih and non-F@tih schools. However there are some promising results indicating that F@tih project has made some significant inroads into improvement of ICT related school conditions, specifically ICT infrastructure of public schools. Yet, the findings also illustrate that ICT coordination and support, ICT vision, policy and teachers' ICT training, and their ICT use are policy domains that should be addressed and improved in both F@tih and non-F@tih schools.

Touchscreens are being integrated into classrooms to support collaborative learning, yet little empirical evidence has been presented regarding how children collaborate using touchscreens in classrooms. In particular, minimal research has been directed towards how teachers can design for and guide children's touchscreen-based collaboration. Concurrently, the Programme for International Student Assessment and other international organisations have highlighted collaboration and ICT skills as crucial competencies for mastery in the twenty-first century. Accordingly, this article presents three narrative cases from a touchscreen project in Denmark, where 41 second-grade children and three teachers from two classrooms participated. The cases are based on ethnographic field data and 150 hours of video footage of natural occurring interaction in classroom settings. The ethnographic field data and video footage are examined using a collaboration model and embodied interaction analysis. Each case presents features of the subtle processes of children's collaboration around touchscreens and teachers' role in designing and guiding such collaboration. Thus, this article illustrates teachers' and children's situated processes of integrating touchscreens for collaborative activities in their classrooms.

Information and communication technology (ICT) use became of major importance for primary schools across the world as ICT has the potential to foster teaching and learning processes. ICT use is therefore a central measurement concept (dependent variable) in many ICT integration studies. This data paper presents two datasets (2008 and 2011) that contain measurements on ICT use in primary schools on the one hand and contributing conditions on the other hand. In both datasets, ICT use refers to different types of use: basic ICT use, ICT as a learning tool and ICT as an information tool. The influencing conditions refer to variables situated on the individual teacher level (eg, ICT competences, ICT professional development, etc) and the school organization level (eg, ICT school vision, ICT leadership, etc) that support or hinder the use of ICT for teaching and learning.

Nowadays, more and more authors are convinced that ICT (information and communication technology) in early childhood education provides multiple possibilities for young children. The current study, conducted in Flanders, aims to get a clearer picture of ICT use in Flemish preschools. For this purpose, a questionnaire was composed consisting of newly developed and existing scales. Based on the answers of 232 preschool teachers, two types of ICT use are distinguished in early childhood education, "ICT use supporting basic ICT skills and attitudes", and "ICT use supporting contents and individual learning needs". "ICT use supporting basic ICT skills and attitudes" occurs more frequently and is related to the grade of the preschoolers, teachers' self-perceived ICT competences and the number of years of experience with ICT at school. "ICT use supporting contents and individual learning needs" is strongly related to the grade of the preschoolers, teachers' self-perceived ICT competences, ICT professional development and teachers' attitudes towards the possibilities of ICT for teachers in early childhood education. This indicates that professional development is a crucial factor in stimulating ICT use that transcends teaching basic ICT skills and attitudes.

This study aims to gain insight into the experiences of beginning team teaching teams and the dimensions of effective teaching behavior that are perceived as clear added value in their pedagogical practices. Sixteen beginning team teaching teams from twelve different elementary schools participated in team interviews. The more complex dimensions of effective teaching behavior, based on the International Comparative Analysis of Learning and Teaching (ICALT) framework, such as adaptive teaching and activating learning, were perceived as clear added value in their team teaching practices. Meanwhile, the more basic teaching dimensions—including efficient classroom management, providing clear instruction, and creating a safe and stimulating learning climate—were reported to a lesser extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Dealing with students' maladaptive behaviour in the classroom, such as verbal aggressive behaviour, is challenging, particularly for novice teachers. They often encounter limited opportunities for training and practice in handling such incidents during their pre-service education, rendering them ill-equipped and uncertain when confronted with instances of verbal aggression during their initial teaching experiences. This article reports on the design and validation of a verbal aggression management competence model to guide and substantiate novice teachers' immediate reactions. (2) Methods: The model's construction and validation processes were informed by a dual-pronged approach, encompassing a literature analysis to explore theoretical concepts and semi-structured interviews involving 32 educational experts to validate its practical applicability. (3) Results: The design and validation processes resulted in a comprehensive competence model consisting of concrete steps to be taken during or immediately following an incident and overarching attitudes to be adopted throughout the incident managing process. (4) Conclusions: This study contributes a structured framework to empower novice teachers, offering tools to address verbal aggressive behaviour within the classroom environment. Furthermore, it highlights the potential of incorporating this model into teacher education programs, facilitating the competence development of future teachers, and fostering conducive learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of team teaching—how teachers deliver team teaching in the classroom—substantially determines its effect. The collaboration between the teachers and the level of shared responsibility between them are two important dimensions of the team teaching practice. To date, no instrument exists to measure these dimensions. However, in view of empirical research within the context of team teaching, such an instrument is important. Therefore, the Collaboration and Shared Responsibility in Team Teaching (CSTT) scale is developed, making it possible to assess these two important dimensions. The CSTT scale was used in a large-scale cross-sectional survey study (n = 555). Next to a validation of the scale, this study provides empirical evidence on the differences between groups of teachers regarding (a) teaching experience, (b) education type, and (c) frequency of team teaching. Results show that teachers overall report high scores on both dimensions. Further, this study indicates that there are no significant differences between the groups based on (a) teaching experience and (b) education type for both collaboration and shared responsibility. There are, however, significant differences between groups in terms of the (c) frequency of team teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the need for teacher educators'--or those who teach the teachers--professional development became increasingly recognised in both policy and research literature. In this respect, a growing body of publications highly stress the teacher educators' task of engaging in research and becoming a teacher educator-researcher. This article assumes that teacher educators' professional development can be conceptualised as the development of a "researcherly disposition". A researcherly disposition is defined as the tendency to engage in research, and involves an inclination towards research (affective aspect), an ability to engage in research (cognitive aspect) and a sensitivity for research opportunities (behavioural aspect). Twenty in-depth interviews with teacher educators were conducted and analysed in order to empirically explore the concept and assess differences in teacher educators' researcherly disposition. The findings indicate a typology with three types of teacher educators: "the enquiring teacher educator" (Type 1), "the well-read teacher educator" (Type 2) and "the teacher educator-researcher" (Type 3). Based on the proposed definition of a teacher educator's researcherly disposition, each type's disposition towards research is presented. Finally, implications for further research and for future programmes that focus on teacher educators' professional development are discussed.