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Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine elementary physical education teachers' content knowledge of physical activity and health-related fitness. Sixty-four .female and 24 male teachers completed the Appropriate [...]

Recent research has begun to conceptualise the professional learning of practising teachers who take on leadership roles in schools. In this vein, this article draws on a qualitative interview-based study designed to investigate case writing as a professional learning approach. It focuses on the way in which writing of a published case encouraged teacher leaders to articulate their growing knowledge about leadership. Data indicate that teacher leaders' anticipation of a public audience for their case writing was the feature that compelled them to consolidate and articulate their knowledge. But teachers' traditional positioning as knowledge consumers (rather than as knowledge producers) led to their fragile confidence to later share the professional knowledge they had developed. The outcomes of this study hold implications for case writing as an approach to developing teacher leaders and for professional learning programs that seek to shift practitioner and public knowledge of teacher leadership into professional communities. Keywords educational leadership professional development leadership training case studies professional learning in-service education, Introduction The professional learning of teachers is increasingly recognised as important, not only for enhancing the quality of teaching in schools but for developing the profession more generally (Berry, Clemans [...]

This paper calls for a renewed focus on the teaching of writing. It proposes a conceptual model, based on a social realist perspective, which takes account of the ways in which teachers reflexively mediate personal, professional and political considerations in enacting their writing pedagogies. This model extends understanding of the factors contextualising the teaching of writing. It also provides a useful guide for research into the teaching of writing and a prompt for reflexivity in professional development., Introduction The educational value of writing as a mode of communication cannot be overstated; it lies in the dual function of producing knowledge while promoting thinking, analysis, and learning. Writing [...]

Abstract: Adjuncts are a vital part of the academic institution. The institution has a responsibility to provide training, resources, and development for adjuncts. This article considers five general areas regarding [...]

The increasing cultural, linguistic, and developmental diversity of today's classrooms demands more inclusive approaches to schooling, but classroom teachers often report feeling unprepared for inclusive education. This article reports some lessons learned from the Inclusive Practice Project, a teacher education reform project that has developed an innovative approach to preparing teachers to enter a profession in which they take responsibility for the learning and achievement of all students. It identifies four crucial issues, describes how they were addressed, and considers the challenges of professional development of teacher educators that emerged from the project studies. Key lessons focusing on the professional development of teacher educators in the establishment of a new curricular approach to teacher education for inclusive education are discussed. Keywords diversity, special education, preservice education, Introduction Today's schools are very different from the schools where many of those who currently prepare tomorrow's teachers taught. In Europe, demographic changes coexist with a policy shift in many [...]

Abstract The sharing of nursing knowledge between clinicians can strengthen the profession. Clinicians often underestimate the relevance and importance of what they may contribute and feel daunted by the idea [...]

Abstract Any child presenting at an emergency department after trauma, such as road traffic accidents, falls, sports and head injuries, should be assessed for risk of injury to the cervical [...]

This paper examines current issues concerning surgical fellowship training in Canada. Other than information from a few studies of fellowship training in North America, there are scant data on this subject in the literature. Little is known about the demographic characteristics of those who pursue fellowship training in Canada, what the experiences and expectations are of fellows and their supervisors with respect to the strengths and weaknesses of this level of training, or how this level of education fits in with Canadian undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. We summarize current knowledge about fellowship training in Canada as it pertains to demographic characteristics, finances, work hours, residency training, preparation for clinical and research work and satisfaction with training. Most information on surgical fellowship training comes from the United States. As such, we used information from American studies to supplement the Canadian data. Because a surgical fellowship experience in Canada may be different from that in the United States, we propose that Canadian surgical fellows and their supervisors should be surveyed to gain an understanding of such information. This knowledge could be used to improve surgical fellowship training in Canada. Cet article analyse les enjeux d'actualite entourant la formation au niveau du fellowship en chirurgie au Canada. Outre l'information tiree de quelques etudes sur ce type de formation en Amerique du Nord, les donnees sont rares a ce sujet dans les publications. On connait peu de choses des caracteristiques demographiques des personnes qui suivent une formation au niveau du fellowship au Canada, des experiences des boursiers et de leurs superviseurs, de leurs attentes au sujet des forces et des faiblesses de ce niveau de formation, ou de l'integration de ce niveau de formation dans l'education medicale predoctorale et postdoctorale au Canada. Nous resumons le savoir actuel sur la formation au niveau du fellowship au Canada sur les plans suivants : caracteristiques demographiques, questions financieres, heures de travail, formation en residence, preparation au travail clinique et a la recherche et satisfaction a l'egard de la formation. La majeure partie de l'information au sujet de la formation au niveau du fellowship en chirurgie provient des Etats-Unis. Nous avons donc utilise de l'information tiree d'etudes americaines pour completer les donnees canadiennes. Comme une experience de formation au niveau du fellowship en chirurgie vecue au Canada peut etre tres differente d'une experience vecue aux Etats-Unis, nous proposons de sonder les boursiers canadiens en chirurgie et leurs superviseurs afin de comprendre cette information. Ces connaissances pourraient servir a ameliorer la formation au niveau du fellowship en chirurgie au Canada., A surgical fellowship is often a 1- or 2-year clinical experience performed after residency (postgraduate) training. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada identifies a resident as a [...]

Abstract In this, the third and final article in a series on practice skill analysis, attention is given to imaginative ways of improving a practice skill. Having analysed and evaluated [...]

This study used text-related, video-based case materials to assess teacher candidates' readiness to communicate with families. Participants (N = 141) rated their efficacy for home-school communication and then responded to a description of a classroom-based challenge regarding one student's behavioral and academic performance. Next, they evaluated two videos, each capturing how a teacher addressed the challenge in a parent-teacher conference. Cases offered contrasting models of communication effectiveness along two dimensions: structuring and responsiveness. Finally, candidates chose which model did the better job and justified their choice. Findings revealed that candidates had high self-efficacy for communicating with families but generated a small number and range of strategies for dealing with the situation; could discriminate between the models' effectiveness; and their reasons for choosing one model as best centered on their valuing of structuring or responsiveness and their conceptions of partnership. Content validity and reliability assessments of the research materials are described. Keywords case study, teacher education/development, professional development, collaboration, Parental support and involvement in their children's education can have a profound influence on student's academic, social, and emotional outcomes (Brody, Flor, & Gibson, 1999; Grolnick & Ryan, 1989; Jeynes, [...]

Abstract This is the first of three articles exploring skill analysis, assisting readers to select and describe a practice skill of their choice. The aim is to help the nurse [...]

Summary This article focuses on mentorship. There is an important professional expectation of registered nurses and midwives to mentor pre-registration nursing students in clinical practice. The article examines ways to [...]

In recent years, literacy coaches have emerged as an integral part of a school's literacy team. Although current research on literacy coaching examines the work of coaches at the elementary [...]

Summary Research nurses and other trials staff routinely play an important part in obtaining patients' consent to participate in clinical trials and perform many essential tasks in evaluating and delivering [...]

Abstract Risk assessment and risk management are fundamental to an effective travel health consultation. Identification of travel-related hazards and the risk they pose enables the health professional and the traveller [...]

Summary This is the second of two articles looking at the use of training needs analysis frameworks to streamline the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) in healthcare settings. The [...]

Summary This article shows the results of an assessment of an innovative approach to training practice nurses in Tower Hamlets, East London. It explains why the programme, called Open Doors, [...]

The article traces the history of PRIME--A Process for Remediating Identified Marginal Education Candidates since 1996. The philosophy has not changed from its inception. Procedure identifies individuals who may be at risk for successful completion of their programs or who possess those traits associated with rapid attrition in the teaching profession. The model provides a support system to assist them in decisionmaking and in making the transition from the university to the world of work., A presentation, PRIME--A Process for Remediating Identified Marginal Education Candidates by Nichols, Easterbrooks, and Owens at MSERA annual meeting in 1996 spurred an article entitled Preventing Returns on Teacher Warranties [...]

Summary After taking part in the UK-wide commissioning of a set of supervisory competencies for psychological therapies, NHS Education for Scotland has established a two-stage approach to the training of [...]

Alerting all teacher-librarians: There is a new set of standards in town! Released in 2008 and planned to be in the hands of all teacher-librarians by 2012, the American Association [...]

This qualitative study explores a cohort professional development experience that brought new teachers together every few weeks from across an urban school district. Observation data were analyzed through Wenger's (1998) Communities of Practice social learning framework. The purpose was to examine how a cohort can be a valuable resource of new teacher support, particularly in areas where novices, who are being prepared largely through alternative routes, start their careers in some of the most challenging teaching assignments. Key theoretical insights resulting from the analysis include (a) the importance of interactivity of the Wenger elements, (b) the centrality of the community component, and (c) the implications of what legitimate peripheral participation looks like for a solely novice community of practice. Implications of these theoretical considerations are discussed and then linked to possibilities for practice and research to supplement current, traditional induction and mentoring practices. Keywords professional development, teacher induction, urban teacher education, Just after 6:30 p.m., the two-hour Beginning Teacher Program (BTP) cohort session should have ended, but it had not. This small group of new teachers had taught all day at [...]

After certification, teachers do not often receive systematic support in their learning and hence mainly depend on informal learning opportunities at work. The present study addresses the question of if and how supervision makes a difference to teacher learning. In a longitudinal mixed-method study, the learning of one teacher is documented in a year in which she had no systematic support bur had to adjust herself to an educational innovation. The authors also studied this teacher in a consecutive year in which she did receive individual supervision. During supervision, the teacher became aware of beliefs and patterns that had previously inhibited her from change. This awareness precipitated significant changes in her beliefs and classroom behavior as well as the way she learned. The findings suggest that professional learning will take place only if a teacher is supported in learning how to deal effectively with personal factors involved in the learning process. Keywords teacher learning, professional development, supervision, teacher education, informal learning, The professional development (PD) of teachers is a perennial issue, about which much has been written in the past decades. In the past, teachers' PD was organized in formal programs [...]

Abstract. This study examined the impact of contextual and individual factors on the implementation of professional development (PD) content in the area of word study and fluency by three upper-elementary [...]

Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York (Queensborough) is a minority-serving institution with over 16,000 students who originate from approximately 140 countries and more than a third [...]

Inservice teachers need ways to gain an integrated knowledge of content, pedagogy, and technologies that reflects new ways of teaching and learning in the 21st century. This interpretive study examined inservice K-8 teachers' growth in their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) toward technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) in an online graduate course designed for integrating dynamic spreadsheets as teaching and learning tools in mathematics and science. With the lens of four TPACK components (Niess, 2005), the analysis describes teachers' development from recognizing to accepting, adapting, and exploring TPACK levels. Implications and recommendations for the design of future professional development courses and continuing research are identified to support inservice teachers' knowledge growth for teaching with technologies. (Keywords: Teacher knowledge, spreadsheets, inservice teachers, elementary and middle school, online, professional development), More than 20 years ago, Shulman (1986, 1987) proposed the construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as knowledge teachers need for teaching. This construct recognized that teachers rely on more [...]

Summary This article describes a strategy to reduce the high levels of stress experienced by community nurses in a children's palliative care team. The development, use and effectiveness of a [...]

In response to substantial evidence that many U.S. students are inadequately prepared in science and mathematics, we have developed an effective and adaptable model that improves the education of all students in introductory physics and increases the numbers of talented physics majors becoming certified to teach physics. We report on the Colorado Learning Assistant model and discuss its effectiveness at a large research university. Since its inception in 2003, we have increased the pool of well-qualified K-12 physics teachers by a factor of approximately three, engaged scientists significantly in the recruiting and preparation of future teachers, and improved the introductory physics sequence so that students' learning gains are typically double the traditional average. [c] 2010 American Association of Physics Teachers. [DOI: 10.1119/1.3471291]

Summary Service development and service improvement are complex concepts, but this should not prevent practitioners engaging in, or initiating, them. There is no set blueprint for service development so this [...]

High-quality professional development (PD) is central to any education improvement effort, particularly those that seek to integrate technology in support of classroom instruction. Successful implementation of education technologies depends upon […], This article presents findings from an evaluation of an instructional-technology professional development (PD) program that uses many practices advocated by PD experts. In this multiphase evaluation, evaluators examined the program, determined whether variations in program implementation had an impact on teacher outcomes, and then looked at whether variations in program implementation and teacher outcomes had an impact on student achievement. We found that greater PD fidelity was associated with higher-quality lesson plans and higher student achievement. This evaluation suggests that instructional-technology PD that is closely aligned to a program's core conceptual foundations can lead to positive teacher and student outcomes. (Keywords: professional development, technology integration, fidelity)

This study examines the impact of 2 forms of professional development on prekindergarten teachers' early language and literacy practice: coursework and coaching. Participating teachers (N = 148) from 6 urban cities were randomly assigned to Group 1 (coursework), Group 2 (on-site coaching), or Group 3 (control group). Pre- and postassessments examined teachers' knowledge and quality of language and literacy practices. Analyses revealed no significant improvements between groups on knowledge of early language and literacy. However, those who received coaching made statistically significant improvements in the structural environment both immediately and 5 months later. Effect sizes were substantial for coaching, while those who received coursework made no significant improvements. Analyses of the active ingredients of coaching were examined using logs and interviews to further elucidate these findings. Results indicated that coaching appears to be an effective form of professional development for early childhood educators.

This article reports on a 4-year longitudinal study of the effects of Literacy Collaborative (LC), a schoolwide reform model that relies primarily on the one-on-one coaching of teachers as a lever for improving student literacy learning. Kindergarten through second-grade students in 17 schools were assessed twice annually with DIBELS and Terra Nova. Scores from the study's first year, before coaching began, offered a baseline for assessing the value added to student learning over the following 3 years. A hierarchical, crossed-level, value-added-effects model compared student literacy learning over 3 years of LC program implementation against observed growth under baseline conditions. Results demonstrated increasing improvements in student literacy learning during LC implementation (standard effect sizes of .22, .37, and .43 in years 1, 2, and 3, respectively), and the benefits persisted through subsequent summers. Findings warrant a claim of substantial effects on student learning for the LC coaching model.

As the academic and professional honor society of counseling, Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) has been recognized in developing advocacy, leadership, and professional identity in student and professional members. A qualitative, [...]

In this quantitative study, 187 counselor educators at research institutions reported engaging in responsible conduct of research (RCR). with a few individuals reporting deviations from ethical behavior. Tenure-seeking faculty members [...]

Professional identity development is an important professional issue. Examining the lived experiences of counselors-in-training (CITs), the authors used grounded theory methodology to describe the transformational tasks that are required for [...]

Summary Healthcare policy makers have advocated the introduction of work-based learning (WBL) methods to help improve care. Some healthcare professionals and academics do not support WBL, however, possibly because they [...]

Summary This article investigates the factors that have shaped the role and work experiences of ward sisters and charge nurses. The article considers how ward sisters make sense of the [...]

Summary This article, the first of two, provides an overview of the processes involved in writing a systematic review. The article describes the differences between a systematic and a literature [...]

Leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) accreditation is quickly becoming one of the most popular professional designations available to members of the building design and construction community. The purpose of this research was to determine the impact that the LEED accredited professional (AP) designation has had on architecture/engineering (A/E) firm employees versus employees of owners, contractors, subcontractors, and other organization types. The researchers analyzed 9,060 responses from LEED-APs using a one-way ANOVA to determine whether or not significant differences in perceived benefit exist between LEED-APs working for A/E firms and LEED-APs working for other organization classifications. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in six of the eight 'impact' categories. LEED-APs working for A/E firms did not feel as strong as LEED-APs working for other organization types that the credential provided any more recognition, professional opportunities for contributions, and prestige among superiors and individuals within their organization. There were no significant differences between the groups, however, with regard to the credential's impact on salary and job responsibilities. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000016 CE Database subject headings: Certification; Professional development; Sustainable development; Professional practice; Leadership; Energy. Author keywords: Certification; Professional development; Sustainable development; Professional practice.

Summary The Health Foundation Leaders for Change scheme, which ended last year, was a structured learning programme designed to equip healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to lead [...]

This study examines initial faculty concerns during implementation of a one-to-one laptop teacher education pilot program. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model of Change provides the theoretical framework and guides the methodology. In fall 2007, 29 teacher candidates began a one-year multiple-subject (elementary) credential program with an added emphasis on teaching and learning in a one-to-one laptop environment. Circumstances of faculty involvement in the pilot program were varied and not controlled. Eight instructional faculty and three field supervision faculty participated in this study. Results indicate that, as a group, faculty participants had high-level awareness, management, and impact concerns, yet highest concerns for individual faculty varied. Data pointed to three major implications regarding technology-rich teacher education and faculty issues to be addressed for program success: faculty readiness, faculty preparation, and faculty differences. Implications of this study extend to colleges of education implementing one-to-one initiatives or other technology innovations into their programs. (Keywords: 1:1 computing, teacher education, faculty concerns), Integrating technology into teacher education coursework is nothing new. However, with the influx of one-to-one (1:1) laptop programs and the use of mobile laptop carts in K-12 schools and classrooms, [...]