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Purpose: To explore secondary school physical educators' use of Twitter (now X) for professional development, examining engagement patterns and evolution over time through the lens of sense of community theory. Method: Sixty-one secondary school physical educators completed a questionnaire shared on Twitter (now X). Ten teachers also completed individual semistructured interviews. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were constructed: (a) physical educator Twitter engagement and its impact, (b) evolution of educators Twitter use over time, and (c) opportunities and advice for physical educators. Discussion/Conclusion: This study explored how physical educators use Twitter (X) for professional development and highlighted its impact on teaching practices, networking, and professional opportunities while noting concerns about the pressure of being perfect and the control exerted by X's algorithms. Future research should assess the consistency of these findings and explore Twitter's rebranding to X and its implications for users' community sense and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postdoctoral fellowships (PDFs) are becoming increasingly common yet remain nebulous to many. The purpose of this research has been to investigate the structures and experiences of PDFs for fellows and supervisors in physical education and sport sciences/kinesiology (PESSK) internationally. Fourteen fellows and five supervisors participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Data were thematically analyzed and interpreted through Dewey's theory of experience. Findings revealed participants understood PDFs in relation to doctoral education and as preparation for academic careers. Reasons for engaging included ambitions for new contexts and mentorship, unprepared or unable to secure faculty employment, and facilitating professional learning. Challenges related to low salaries, family considerations, structural and institutional obstacles, international barriers, and high turnover. Perceived values included professional and personal growth and fellows as a learning, relationship, and productivity resource for supervisors. This research holds important implications for postdocs, supervisors, institutions, and funding agencies in supporting early-career scholarship in PESSK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore preservice teachers' (PSTs) implementation of cooperative learning (CL) during their school-based student-teaching after undertaking a CL course in a Chinese physical education teacher education program. Method: An interpretive qualitative case study design gathered data from eight PSTs using classroom observations, semistructured interviews, reflective journals, instructional materials, and field notes. Interactive cycling coding was used to analyze the data. Findings: The two themes, putting five key elements into practice and learning to facilitate with CL, convey how the PSTs implemented the procedures of CL and adapted CL to the contexts they were teaching in. Discussion and Conclusions: The eight PSTs appropriately implemented CL and contextualized CL practice in their classrooms. They shifted their teaching approaches away from direct instruction and toward more independent, pupil group-based tasks. This growth is particularly important in the Chinese physical education context, where policies advocate for CL yet student-centered teaching which is rarely seen in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, it is widely acknowledged that many generalist primary teachers (GPTs) enter the teaching profession with a paucity of arts practice and pedagogic skills. Many perceive a lack of confidence, competence, and community to change this, particularly in regional and isolated teaching contexts. As a means to address this, this article considers the value of engaging in collaborative a/r/tography as a means of developing more creative ecological approaches to teacher professional development and learning. A multimodal storied assemblage of four primary teachers' experience of engaging in collaborative a/r/tography is explored, and through diffractive analysis, the authors surface the intra-acting affective agents that enable metho-pedagogic learning possibilities. Specific ways in which collaborative a/r/tography works to foster GPTs' curricula and metho-pedagogic sensibilities, as well as a sense of creative ecology, are addressed. Speculation as to the ways in which collaborative a/r/tography fosters GPTs "becoming ecological" in relational practices and processes of curriculum enactment and pedagogical engagement is offered thereby contributing to understandings of the generative capacity of a/r/tography as a framework for developing teacher agency and change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looking at opportunities for learning during moments of chaos and disequilibrium can lead to the understanding of contingency as a resource for learning. Internationally, the pandemic enabled new ways of learning-practice and has had important implications for the learning and development of teachers and of school leaders. In this paper, we aim to discuss the informal learning experienced by school leaders in Brazil during the pandemic. This period provided an opportunity for principals to experience new ways of learning about and resolving issues of equity within their schools. New relationships between schools and families emerged as differences in social justice became apparent. When schools were closed, many principals visited the homes and families of their students for the first time. Experiencing the challenges of their students changed the mindset of principals and caused many to reconceptualise the purpose of school leadership and the need to think laterally and informally about their own professional learning. The intention of this article, then, is to highlight the implicit professional learning that principals in Brazil experienced during the pandemic, to make it more explicit and to highlight the necessary, but limited, value of formal leadership development in complex cultural situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of a professional development programme in formative assessment (FA) for high school mathematics teachers. Through a collaborative approach between researchers and in-service teachers, a 16-week online course was designed focusing on feedback strategies, peer co-assessment, and student engagement. A mirrored scale was used where teachers and students reported frequency of FA practices. Pre-post tests were used to measure FA knowledge and practices in teachers (n = 110), as well as their self-efficacy. In students (n = 1029), mathematics learning and FA practices implemented by their teachers were evaluated. The results highlight a significant moderate effect on teachers' self-efficacy, and large effects in FA knowledge, and implementation of FA practices, with noticeable changes perceived by both teachers and their students. Students perceived larger improvements in collaborative practices and peer assessment and weaker changes in practices that involved them in self assessment. Additionally, a transfer of these changes to students' mathematics learning was observed, indicating that students' reports of FA practices significantly impact their mathematics performance. This study underscores the importance of involving students in the FA process to improve mathematics learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For educators, identifying and characterising problems in their teaching practice is essential for triggering inquiries into their practice. Knowing what educators consider problematic is essential for generating strategies for situated approaches to help teacher educators manage their problems and promote professional learning. In this study, we report on qualitative research with the aim of characterising the types of problems of practice that 43 Chilean mathematics teacher educators identified in their teaching. We adopted an ecological data collection approach to investigate teaching practices. The source was a set of open answers from an activity performed in an e-learning course to develop mathematics teacher educators' skills to investigate their teaching practice. Based on content analysis, we identified three types of problems manifesting similarly in beginner and more experienced mathematics teacher educators, focusing on prospective teachers' difficulties or mathematics teacher educators teaching practices. Mathematics teacher educators also propose situated approaches to address these problems, based on evidence provided by prospective teachers. These problems highlight the challenges that mathematics teacher educators experience in their work and their professional development needs across all stages of their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines current approaches to professional development (PD) for school leaders in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. While PD programs indicate significant progress, school leadership remains in an early stage of development. The findings highlight the need for national policy commitments to ensure long-term sustainability. The challenge is not only in offering accessible programs for new principals but also in ensuring quality and promoting continuous professionalisation. The analysis underscores the need for individual-centred PD approaches that prioritise the personal growth of school leaders, recognising the multifaceted dimensions of their roles. Additionally, it emphasises the importance of embedding professional development within a learning system that fosters partnerships between academia, government, and wider society. Addressing the need for a more context-sensitive approach to professional preparation, the study also highlights the political dimension of school leadership, advocating for programs that equip leaders with the political awareness necessary to navigate complex policy contexts effectively. Recognising the influence of the Global North, this study advocates for reimagining PD approaches to integrate and prioritise contextualised practices and knowledge, considering the diverse realities and challenges faced by educators in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many references to coaching, feedback and reflection, collaboration, and monitoring can be found as an essential component of effective teacher continuing professional development (CPD) in various contexts (Desimone 2009, Avalos 2011, Orr etal. 2012, Psychoyos 2012, Kourany 2017, Darling-Hammond et al. 2017, De León 2017); however, the results of surveys, interviews, and documentary research conducted in 2020 and 2021 suggest that these characteristics seldom appear to be part of the existing CPD in Panama. We analysed interview transcripts using inductive and deductive manual coding methods. The study highlights Panamanian teachers' desire for innovative CPD focused on pedagogical approaches and subject-specific techniques tailored to regional educational needs and with a school-driven planning approach. Teachers reported barriers to CPD access, including travel difficulties and technology limitations, while expressing interest in international exchanges and financial support for advanced education. They sought engaging training sessions that encourage active learning, provide opportunities for reflection, and demonstrate best practices, emphasising the need for instructors with expertise relevant to the Panamanian context. The results of this study informed public policy recommendations that included the development of an independent apolitical institute that would provide oversight of teacher CPD and well-being in consultation with the Ministry of Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allied health clinical educators (AHCEs) are vital to health professional student education and clinical education is often expected in a job role. Communities of practice (CoPs) may be a strategy to meet educator learning needs. A rapid review was conducted to determine the structures, purposes, and outcomes of AHCE CoPs, and barriers or enablers of participation in CoPs. A systematic electronic search of three peer-reviewed literature databases (1/1/1998 to 10/7/23) and gray literature search were conducted. Data were extracted using a purposively designed form and synthesized descriptively. One peer-reviewed paper and four unpublished reports were included. CoPs aimed to provide a platform for knowledge creation and resources. Most were single-discipline specific and conducted virtually with occasional face-to-face meetings. Evaluation of CoPs was limited: one paper reported the impact of a CoP on CE skills and confidence. Outputs included documentation and clinical reasoning tools, resource repositories and training packages. Enablers included having a facilitator, and an online platform for resource sharing. Lack of support by management limited participation. While published research on CoPs in AHCE is scarce, communities are growing informally within local health networks, predominantly online. Further research is indicated to evaluate effectiveness of CoPs and make the most of this opportunity for interprofessional collaboration and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Existing research suggests that practitioner inquiry (PI) can positively influence teachers’ professional learning. Within the context of Health and Physical Education (HPE), however, we know little about the influence of PI on HPE teachers and their students, and HPE colleagues. Aim: This study responds to the research question: in what ways do HPE teachers believe that PI influences their teaching practices, their students and their HPE colleagues? Context and participants: This study presents a case study of a year-long, government-funded teacher professional learning programme called Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) offered by the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. The TEP is intended to advance teacher professional knowledge in a range of ways, including through individual and collaborative PIs. This paper examines the outcomes that ensued from the teachers’ individual and collaborative PIs. The study involved seven Australian HPE teachers with varying levels of experience (6–30 years). We employed an exploratory, multi-method case study approach, and data consisted of interview transcript, participant-designed cartoons, and artefacts (e.g. framing a problem of practice and action planning documentation). Findings: Within the broader context of the TEP, PI was identified as particularly engaging for the participating HPE teachers. The HPE teachers believed that engaging in PI: (a) enhanced their own teaching practices; (b) therefore improved students’ engagement; and in some cases (c) influenced HPE colleagues’ teaching practice. Implications: This study underscores the potential influence that PI can have on HPE teachers when scaffolded and sustained support is available and accessed. Furthermore, this study highlights the significance of adopting the concept of inquiry as stance, emphasizing the role of teachers as researchers. Positioned as teacher-researchers, they generate localized knowledge, reimagine and theorize their own and potentially others’ practice, and critically engage with the theories and research of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace learning practice opportunities provide a learning context for career specialists that may significantly determine their competence level and rate of professional growth in their career paths. This paper aims to explore how attending different workplace learning practice choices could have advanced professional career paths of career specialists. The data of the study was collected in Estonia with the survey distributed to the career specialists (N = 173) with different professional backgrounds and career lengths. The survey estimated the professional competence levels, the career length, the relative progress in the career path, and the workplace learning practises the career specialists had taken. The relations between competency profile and attending different workplace learning practice opportunities, and between rapid development or slow development (possibly being on the professional plateau) and workplace learning practices were analysed using the latent profile analysis and Kruskall-Wallis H-tests. Latent profile analysis with competences detected four different competency profile stages: Beginner, Experienced, Expert and Developer. The findings indicated that rapid professional development to the more advanced competency profile stages was positively associated with frequent attendance of varied workplace learning practice opportunities. In contrast, in the state of relatively slow development (being on the possible career plateau), the specialists had attended significantly less workplace learning practice than expected. We address the concern that this lack of experience-based social learning in their training might seriously hinder the work of career specialists who need to provide career guidance to other people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-directed educator professional learning is commonplace, and such activities increasingly span multiple digital spaces and formats, and blur boundaries between online and offline. In this exploratory research, we analyze the case of the #CharlasEducativas, a dynamic professional learning ecosystem that began in 2020 and is based in Spain. We describe the platforms, modalities, and activities that comprised the #CharlasEducativas from 2020–2023, and how these different elements combine to create a multiplatform learning ecosystem. Relying upon multiple data sources, we also analyze the topics and content associated with various components of this unique ecosystem, and share participant perceptions of the #CharlasEducativas. Although the ecosystem was first developed relying mostly on YouTube and X/Twitter, the #CharlasEducativas have evolved over time to include additional platforms, and even in-person events, with different spaces functioning in overlapping and distinct ways. These spaces have been employed in synchronous and asynchronous ways, using text, images, voice, and visuals to discuss and share information on a wide array of education topics. Many participants reported perceiving the #CharlasEducativas as a space of learning and community building, and credited this learning and community with sparking reflection upon and changes in their own teaching practices. We discuss how the #CharlasEducativas reflect opportunities and challenges of contemporary educator professional learning in the context of ubiquitous social media platforms. Finally, we define implications for research and practice, highlighting the need to advance understanding of educators' multiplatform professional learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local implementation of science reform efforts in part relies on science teacher leaders (STLs) to improve science instruction in classrooms and beyond. The lack of science‐specific professional learning resources drives STLs to act as boundary spanners to locate resources outside their local context to fill that gap. Museums and other informal science education centers are examples of external entities that STLs might leverage to locate resources for local science education improvement. While we know how museums support pre‐ and in‐service science teachers, there is a gap in our understanding related to museum support for STLs. Here, we used case study research methods to analyze how a museum‐based professional learning programme supported STLs, as boundary spanners to access and adapt resources for local science education reform efforts. We found that each STL reported benefiting from shared resources from the museum, as well as from their peers in their working groups. We also found that STLs reported on different elements of the professional learning programme related to their area of influence (classroom or district) and the problem of practice their group worked on. We discuss how each of the named features of the museum‐based professional learning programme supported boundary spanning of STLs and end with implications and recommendations for the design of professional learning experiences to support their leadership work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to map available evidence regarding the transfer of learning from professional development (PD) into practice. The scoping review is based on an analysis of the key characteristics of effective PD, drawing from 60 meta-analyses and various types of reviews (e.g., systematic, integrative, etc.) regarding PD both in general and in various professional fields published from 2009 to 2024. Three research questions are put forward: What characterises effective PD? Which theoretical concepts in the scientific literature represent the transfer of adult PD into practice? And what processes and indicators show effective ways of transferring PD and learning outcomes into practice? The methodology of the review is organised into three steps—preliminary study, the main study, and conceptualisation—by selecting publications and deriving concepts and conclusions relevant to the research questions, as well as identifying knowledge gaps for further exploration. The research literature uses various concepts to characterise the transfer of PD into practice as it is determined by different contexts, research traditions, and practices. Although effective PD has been defined and several theoretical models have been developed, research on PD effectiveness indicators and processes related to the transfer of PD into practice is still ongoing. However, not all evaluations take these models as bases to evaluate the existing PD practices, so the different indicators proposed by different researchers make it difficult to compare the results. The main problem is insufficient evidence in terms of measurable and comparable effectiveness criteria in all fields. The scoping review reveals a variety of controversial or incompletely researched aspects of transferring PD results into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of principal leadership (PL) on teacher professional learning (TPL) with the possible mediation of teacher trust (TT) and teacher agency (TA) using a broader set of data collected from published research. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses meta-analytic structural equation modelling to compare weighted effect sizes between variables produced by research across different periods and contexts. The bilateral relations of PL with study variables were first examined, and then the model-data fit was tested for both the proposed and the two alternative models. Findings: The results showed that PL had a significant and "very large" effect on TPL, TT and agency; PL affected TPL mostly indirectly over TT and agency. TT and agency collectively predicted nearly half of the variance in TPL. Originality/value: The study uses a novel and advanced methodology to investigate the relationships among the study variables using data from 59 studies with a sample size of 67,035 participants from around the world. The results contribute to the literature, offering a more global understanding of the interaction of PL, TPL, trust and agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to understand ways in which teachers define student self-assessment, explore teachers' reasons for using or not using student self-assessment, and explicate the beliefs associated with these reasons. Drawing on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, the authors interviewed seven high school teachers and explored the relationships between their definitions, beliefs, and reasons for using or not using student self-assessment. Definitions of self-assessment varied between formative and summative. Beliefs associated with student outcomes were indicators for using self-assessment. Beliefs about resources (e.g. time, information) and concerns about students' ability to self-assess were associated with not using self-assessment. The study has relevance for understanding ways in which efforts to increase use of student self-assessment likely depend on individual teacher definitions, reasons, and beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

William & Mary's Center for Gifted Education's mission is to foster talent development of high-ability individuals over their lifespan. This article highlights the Center for Gifted Education's programs and offerings to develop leaders in the field of gifted education and talent development. This article details professional learning programs for educators that work with gifted and talented students including conferences, custom professional development, the Online Academy, and grant projects. The graduate programs, including an Online Certificate in Gifted Education and two doctoral programs in Gifted Administration, provide the knowledge and skills for leaders in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-study research challenges professionals to closely examine their practices, the decisions and actions that shape them, and their commitment to their own development. Focusing on the self is not about navel-gazing but deepening professional learning to better serve others. We are three teacher educators from research-intensive institutions who have collaborated for over ten years, integrating the arts into self-study methodology to address critical educational challenges in South Africa. This study employed a multilayered approach to explore how and why arts-inspired collaborative self-study as a mode of professional learning both sustains our engagement and motivates us to do more as teacher educators and researchers. Our data sources were a) three published articles demonstrating our self-study research, b) rich pictures we each produced to answer our research questions, and c) voice notes elucidating our drawings. Data analysis involved crafting a collective poem using words and phrases extracted from tweets based on the voice notes. Combining multiple data sources with creative representation and analysis enabled us to depict and view our professional learning in various forms. Dialoguing with each other and critical friends, followed by poetic feedback from a diverse group of conference attendees, expanded our insights. Our creative interactions demonstrated the professional and methodological merit of inviting many perspectives and approaches to self-study. Multiple viewpoints and inventive methods increase self-study research’s potential for enriching professional learning within a creative and resourceful community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from teacher to teacher-educator is significant. However, teacher educators are typically dropped into teaching at the tertiary level, with little professional preparation, induction or professional learning to be able to teach in this new context. As a result, this transition can be challenging. Despite a growing body of research on the transition from teacher to teacher-educator, little is known about how Physical Education (PE) teachers transition to becoming Physical Education teacher educators and faculty members. This collaborative autoethnography explores the journey of an early career PE teacher educator transitioning while navigating the tension between his teaching and academic habitus, supported by a critical friend going through the same career stage. Reflections were collected through reflective field notes and audio summaries and were explored through ongoing discussions with a critical friend. Ultimately, this project provided a unique insight into how PE teachers transition from teacher to teacher educator and how they can re-think and re-contextualize many of the practices they embodied as teachers, particularly with the support of a critical friend. This process was transformative for both teacher educators and concludes with a call for other Early Career Academics (ECA) to engage in a similar process to strengthen their transition into teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores early career academics' (ECAs) professional learning in a Danish university's Professional Learning (PL) program, based on problem- and project-based learning (PBL) principles. Using a complexity theory lens, professional learning is viewed as a dynamic process involving intrapersonal, behavioral, relational, and contextual sources. Data from 38 written reflections via a questionnaire and six in-depth interviews were analyzed to assess ECAs' learning outcomes and challenges during and after the PL program. The findings indicate that the program advanced participants' PBL and pedagogical knowledge, changed their pedagogical beliefs and teaching practices, and improved their collaborative skills and interactions with students and colleagues. Several challenges ECAs confronted are reported at individual and organizational levels, namely, time management, the learning process, the actual teaching and supervision process, institutional culture, and resource allocation. The study suggests ways for ECAs, program designers and organizers, and university management in promoting more effective professional development processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the Future Creating Workshop (FCW) and explores how it can create learning forums for participatory leadership. We investigate how FCW can be an effective form of professional development for educational leaders and explore what leaders learn from implementing FCWs in their settings. The FCW, a three-phase participatory process, invites community members to identify a pressing problem, critique reality, dream about possible futures, and take steps toward realizing new futures. This research was a shared process between leaders and four participants at the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute, an intensive professional development program for pedagogical leaders. Using a participatory narrative inquiry methodology, the participants wrote detailed narratives about their implementations of FCW and subsequent reflections. Through thematic data analysis processes, we identified three thematic strands: 'changing my narrative' about self as leader, listening as leadership, and the complexity of participatory leadership. First, by describing ways that their leadership narratives change – from less confident to more, from resigned to more optimistic – they noticed shifts in their relationship to self. Second, by engaging in a process that required attuned listening to stakeholders, they described shifts in their relationship with people they lead. Third, by enacting a form of participatory leadership, they saw how the burden of action could be shared with stakeholders. By inviting collaboration, democratic exchange of ideas, negotiating disagreement, and shared dreams of a better future, the FCW models a form of participatory leadership that can strengthen the fabric of communities and relationships between communities and leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper discusses 'unseen observation' as an alternative model of classroom observation to support teachers' professional learning. The paper starts with a critical synopsis of how observation has been appropriated principally as a performance management tool for monitoring teacher effectiveness in the UK. It argues that the overreliance on assessment-based models has led to the hegemony of observation as a performative tool and its subsequent dilution as a catalyst for professional learning to develop teachers' pedagogic thinking and practice. As a counter narrative, this paper proposes an alternative, peer-based model, unseen observation, which reconceptualises and reconfigures observation for professional learning by prioritising collegial meaning-making and reflexive dialogue. Drawing on the concept of intersubjectivity to theorise unseen observation, the principles, purpose and practical application of this model are discussed, along with its benefits and challenges. The paper argues that unseen observation offers a structured approach for stimulating and channelling opportunities for teachers to engage in honest introspection, participatory sensemaking and reflexive dialogue of their practice. Meaningful and sustainable improvements in professional learning are arguably more likely to flourish by creating such opportunities, though further research is needed to investigate the application and impact of unseen observation as a model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional learning may be the most significant when the teacher feels fundamentally challenged and questioned about their practices, beliefs, or identities. In this paper, the elements that cause such fundamental challenges and questions – disruptions – are called 'disruptive hooks'. In the process of addressing such disruptive hooks, teachers create various knowledge artefacts to store the meaning of the various pieces of information. However, there would not necessarily be sufficient discussions about artefacts as outcomes of reflective practices and the way for disruption to boost or ignite the creation of knowledge artefacts. This conceptual paper argued that disruptive hooks would lead teachers to professional learning, which would then result in knowledge artefacts being produced to store the information, knowledge, know-how, or even imagination. In other words, professional learning requires disruptive hooks by its nature, and the struggles in the learning and changing processes of the teachers result in producing knowledge artefacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an Online Teaching Lab model that incorporates elements of lesson study and studio model for teacher learning. We focus on changes in design and facilitation decisions of two specific Online Teaching Labs and study differences in teachers' verbal and written responses to better understand how the process supports teacher learning. Middle grades mathematics teachers took part in the Online Teaching Labs. Data included video recordings of professional development team meetings, lesson implementation, Online Teaching Labsi and teachers' written work on 'Capture Sheets.' Data were analysed based on observable behaviours we intended participating teachers would enact. We found a relationship between the intentional changes facilitators made from the first to second Online Teaching Lab and teacher responses. Facilitators made more explicit mention of the learning goals, increased opportunities for teacher discussion, and included varied video clips. As compared to teachers in the first iteration, teachers in the second Online Teaching Lab more frequently identified teacher discourse moves related to engagement and cognitive demand of tasks and identified connections between teacher pedagogy, student strategies, and mathematical goals. The design, implementation, and outcomes are novel because the model includes features of lesson study and studio model through an online medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School leaders increasingly view inquiry-based professional learning as a means to address diverse aspirations concerning teacher development, school improvement, and regulatory requirements. This qualitative, case study uses interview data to investigate the experiences of school leaders during a one-year cycle of Practitioner Inquiry: Teacher as Researcher. Initially envisaged by the leaders as a solution to school improvement and compliance targets, the data reports how the practitioner inquiry professional learning initiative shifted to reinforce the leaders' role as expert classroom practitioners, and to be an innovative way to shape collegial reflexive practice. Viewed through the Trialectic Theory of Spatiality lens, this paper reports how leaders in one school setting negotiated the potentially contending educational spaces relating to routinised practice, school improvement, and compliance to shape thirdspace innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though teachers in schools are increasingly being asked to take responsibility for the education and training of prospective and practicing teachers, little empirical research has been undertaken into the support that they require to perform their duties effectively. This study provides an international needs analysis of the professional learning needs of this occupational group through a survey of 1680 school-based teacher educators (SBTEs) conducted in 12 countries. While the findings from this study reveal that most SBTEs receive some form of preparation for their role, they require that preparation to be more collaborative and target the pedagogic and research-related aspects of their work. The findings also indicate how much more needs to be done to recognise, address and support SBTEs' learning needs in relation to the rapidly-changing socio-economic, cultural and technological contexts that underpin the work of all teacher educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learning and development of educators in schools can take many forms. This paper is a critical reflection about the coaching and mentoring practices of the authors, set within the context of a state-wide transition to school initiative in Queensland, Australia. The paper describes the context of the initiative, the role of the authors, critical participatory action research methodology adopted, some of the tasks used, and emerging evidence of the efficacy or otherwise of decisions made. Critical reflection on the processes undertaken, and the rationale for these, have formed the basis for planning coaching and mentoring support through the initiative and constitute the data utilised in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of improving schools, increasing teacher quality, and improving student learning has led to an increased focus on teachers' professional learning and development (PLD). When organising PLD sessions in schools, it is crucial that they are well understood and that the needs of teachers are considered. This study aimed to examine teachers' views vis-à-vis their professional growth in primary schools in Fiji. Specifically, it investigated the type of PLD organised in schools and the factors that need to be considered during planning. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document records were used as data collection instruments. Twelve participants were purposefully selected from twelve different primary schools. The data were analysed thematically in 3 phases: identifying patterns, creating codes, and arranging codes into themes. The results suggest that teacher education on PLD is vital and that all those involved in the education system understand what PLD entails and consider the teacher's needs when planning such sessions. The study also revealed that teachers participate in various forms of PLD that include school-based training organised on a regular basis and or when a teacher returns from workshops, and that information needs to be communicated to other teachers in school. Moreover, the study also revealed the critical role of change agents in facilitating PLD initiatives. However, to gain widespread acceptance, these change agents must demonstrate competence and earn the respect of their colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces the Professional Development Evaluation Scale (ProDES), a tool that has been developed to evaluate the impact of professional development as it relates to participants' Learning and Use of New Knowledge and Skills, Organisational Support, Student Learning Outcomes, and reactions. Grounded in Guskey's (2000) framework for evaluating Professional Development, ProDES was developed with data from five study groups in Turkey and underwent refinement across four factors. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses confirmed the scale's structure, accounting for 62.72% of the total variance, with robust fit indices. Within this, ProDES demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, with significant correlations validating its effectiveness. The scale's high internal consistency and test-retest reliability ensure that it can be used to make evidence-informed decisions that can foster more effective and supportive professional development activities. As a result, by identifying which professional development initiatives lead to improvements, those associated with professional development can use resources more efficiently, leading to enhanced school and system-wide improvements. Moreover, the use of ProDES can also help schools and education systems track progress over time, making ProDES an invaluable tool for continuous improvement and strategic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the experiential learning of professionals and empirically analyzed the learning effect. As many professional studies have pointed out, professionals must continue to learn and improve their expertise throughout their careers to deliver higher-quality services. Experiential learning is a crucial subject for understanding the construction of professional knowledge. However, not much research has been accumulated. This study categorized professionals' experience into four subcategories, each exploring the specific effects, distinguishing from previous research conceptualizing experience as a bundle. These four categories are broad experience, task-specific experience, breadth of experience, and depth of experience. Utilizing a dataset of 722 Japanese patent attorneys who owned individual firms, we analyzed panel data from 2002 to 2010. Regression analysis was employed to investigate the effect of patent attorney experience on two performance measures: patent grant rate and grant lag (i.e., time to patent registration). The results show that broad experience and breadth of experience positively impact the rate of patent grants. Additionally, broad experience and depth of experience help reduce the time taken for patent registration. The results are generally consistent with existing studies. However, task-specific experience has a negative effect on patent grant rate, contrary to previous research. This study provided insight into a deeper understanding of the learning curve and the underlying mechanism of professionals' individual experiential learning. Also, this study added new insights by conducting empirical research in the Asian context since most previous studies have focused on Western professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a social constructivist perspective, learning happens by way of engagement with other people and with objects in the environment, often through a process of play and exploration. The notion of tinkering illustrates this mode of creative play, which is relevant not only to youth learning but also to educators’ professional learning. In this study, we describe the experiences of a group of educators who participated in a professional learning program in the summer of 2020 that involved a series of activities for “tinkering at home.” Interviews focused on participants’ sense-making processes, the resources they sought out, and the facilitation choices they made if they included others in their tinkering. Thematic analysis revealed four characteristic features of the affective and relational flow of learning through tinkering: (1) generative openings, (2) multiple pathways for exploration, (3) impasse, and (4) resolution through social interaction. We discuss the implications of these themes for reflective pedagogical practice that is grounded in educators’ own experiential learning.

Purpose: Drawing on the concept of community of practice, the purpose of this study was to explore Brazilian physical education teachers' experiences of nurturing a community of practice online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This was an action research project, and the participants were 13 high school physical education teachers (one of them acted as teacher-facilitator), one critical friend, and one meta-critical friend. Data sources included teachers' online meetings, critical friend conversations, interviews, and the facilitator's reflexive journal. Results: Inductive analysis resulted in four themes: finding emotional and pedagogical support, building a teachers-only space, creating an online group dynamic, and negotiating to research their own practice. The findings are discussed in relation to the characteristics of community of practices and online continuing professional development. Conclusion: Key aspects for future online collaborative continuing professional development are highlighted: (a) teachers-only; (b) by teachers, for teachers; and (c) combination of tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural teachers' professional learning is of great significance inimproving the overall quality of their team and promoting their professional growth. There is a shortage of teachers in rural schools in Australia, and the quality is relatively low. Their professional learning faces difficulties such as limited learning conditions, lack of targeted learning content, and low coverage of learning objects. Based on this, the Australian government attaches great importance to the professional learning activities forrural teachers as an important way to improve the quality of the workface. Thisprofessional learning aims at self-orientation, situational integration and continuous driving, focusing on local knowledge, cross-cultural educational ability, and resilience project learning content. It uses information technology to create online learning platforms to provide professional resources. It builds an online learning community to develop a cooperative learning culture. It carries out orientation to improve the adaptability of new rural teachers. It makes a development plan to ensure the continuous learning of in-service rural teachers. It pays attention to the growth of teachers of weak subject, substitute teachers' professional learning, rural principals' leadership improvement, and it launches policy and measures to break through the predicament. The Australian government's experience in ensuring rural teachers' professional learning inspires us that we should bridge the rural social space to promote the construction of field-based teachers' learning in the process of training, integrate modern information technology to promote rural teachers' learning ability, and cover all subjects and phasesto ensure the formation of a long-term learning mechanism for rural teachers.

BackgroundPurposeMethodFindingsConclusionsSocial and emotional learning (SEL) has emerged as a political and educational priority worldwide. Numerous academic and non-academic benefits of effective (well-designed and well-implemented) SEL programmes within educational contexts exist. Not surprisingly, SEL has been acknowledged as one of the most prioritised educational agendas to support students’ holistic growth and success across different subjects in schools, health and physical education is no exception. Yet, while SEL continues to progress as a global education priority, there is limited literature on SEL in physical education, and even less which seeks to explore teaching SEL in a physical education teacher education (PETE) programme.Framed by Loughran’s conceptualisation of developing a pedagogy of teacher education, this study explored lessons learned from one teacher educator’s first experience teaching SEL in a health and physical education teacher education programme.A self-study of teacher education practices methodology supported one teacher educator to interrogate their experience, decisions, identity, and practices teaching SEL in a PETE programme. Data includes written reflections (n = 10 pages, single-spaced), transcribed critical friend discussions (n = 112 pages single-spaced), and teaching artefacts. Data analysis involved a collaborative reflexive thematic analysis approach to facilitate the inductive identification of themes and patterns.Results are grouped into three categories: lessons learned about my practice as a teacher educator, lessons learned about my pre-service teachers, and lessons learned about teacher education. The three lessons include: (1) the importance of SEL being taught not caught, (2) students lack content knowledge, and (3) once is not enough. Results confirm teaching SEL requires a programmatic approach. Each lesson represents an ongoing process of making sense of self in practice.The results of this research provide pedagogical considerations about teacher education programmes and those who teach in them. Teaching about teaching is a complex process. Teaching about teaching SEL may be an even more complex process as teacher educators rarely have developed these competencies themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, social media platforms have become key elements in many teachers' professional lives. In particular, teacher professional activities on X (formerly Twitter) have received attention from scholars. However, research has rarely explored X/Twitter use with attention to the diverse national contexts in which teachers work. To address this literature gap, this qualitative study collected data via individual and focus group interviews with teachers (N = 29) in three countries: England, Norway and the United States of America. Inductive analysis yielded findings related to purposes for, changes in and benefits and challenges of K‐12 teachers' X/Twitter use. Participants from all three contexts described professional learning activities that included sharing and/or acquiring knowledge and resources, and building professional networks and/or communities via X/Twitter. Multiple participants across contexts also referred to similar challenges such as avoiding negativity from other users. However, differences in X/Twitter use were also noted across teachers from the three national settings, such as only Norwegian participants speaking about using X/Twitter to find collaboration partners for teaching and learning projects. We discuss our findings in relation to literature, theory and practice around teacher professional learning in an era of widespread social media. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Many K‐12 teachers use X/Twitter and other social media platforms for professional learning purposes. Teachers can use X/Twitter for various purposes and in multiple ways. Contextual factors influence teachers' use of X/Twitter. Social media platform use varies to some extent across cultures and nations. What this paper adds Identification of similarities and differences in X/Twitter use among teachers. International comparative analysis based on individual and focus group interviews of participants from England, Norway and the United States of America. Evidence related to the evolving and dynamic nature of teachers' use of X/Twitter. Implications for practice and/or policy Teachers who use social media may benefit from understanding diverse potential uses of platforms. Policies and guidance regarding K‐12 teacher social media use should accommodate various contextual factors, including national context. Diversity and changes in teacher professional social media use warrant more international comparative research in relation to wider policy contexts in education. What is already known about this topic Many K‐12 teachers use X/Twitter and other social media platforms for professional learning purposes. Teachers can use X/Twitter for various purposes and in multiple ways. Contextual factors influence teachers' use of X/Twitter. Social media platform use varies to some extent across cultures and nations. What this paper adds Identification of similarities and differences in X/Twitter use among teachers. International comparative analysis based on individual and focus group interviews of participants from England, Norway and the United States of America. Evidence related to the evolving and dynamic nature of teachers' use of X/Twitter. Implications for practice and/or policy Teachers who use social media may benefit from understanding diverse potential uses of platforms. Policies and guidance regarding K‐12 teacher social media use should accommodate various contextual factors, including national context. Diversity and changes in teacher professional social media use warrant more international comparative research in relation to wider policy contexts in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes teachers' perceptions and experiences using an educative curriculum designed to promote high levels of mathematical discourse. After participating in 2 days of professional learning, grade 3 teachers implemented a predifferentiated and enriched mathematics unit in their classroom. The curriculum was designed to be educative, meaning that teaching it served as professional learning. During implementation, researchers conducted an observation of each treatment teacher and after implementation was complete teachers participated in a post interview about their experiences. Findings from this qualitative study indicate that after teaching the curriculum teachers understood the value of oral discourse and how to implement it in their classroom and could identify student benefits from participating in this type of curriculum. This study illuminates promising practices that may support teachers in implementing research-based best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is widely used to connect students with the world of work and authentic industry practices. WIL research and practice is primarily focused on the benefits to students and universities, whilst the value of WIL to partner organisations remains relatively underexplored. This study takes an industry, government and community partner-centric perspective to examine learning in partner organisations stimulated through engagement with transdisciplinary WIL. A case study of a transdisciplinary, innovation-focused project-based WIL subject at one Australian university is interrogated through the theoretical lenses of practice theory and mutual learning. Fifteen interviews with stakeholders in partner organisations are analysed against the three dimensions of practice articulated by Kemmis et al. (2014): sayings, doings and relatings. The analysis shows that through engagement with university-led transdisciplinary WIL partners were able to advance their learning projects, disrupt and reconfigure organisational practices, and legitimise experimentation within their organisations. The study builds the case for conceptualising WIL engagement as a professional learning opportunity for partner organisations, in addition to the well-documented benefits to students and universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building resilience is a key concern for adult educators today as we face unprecedented global challenges such as the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Nowhere is this more apparent than in educational initiatives with health professionals who experience many stressors in their work, now amplified by the pandemic. This paper reports the results of focus groups with three interprofessional primary healthcare teams in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, in the fall of 2021. The aim was to learn about their lived experience during the first year of the pandemic, as a basis for considering how resilience could be nurtured and supported in rural team-based collaborative practices settings. Findings reveal that, while each collaborative team experienced recognized COVID-19 workplace stressors, they leveraged a store of collective resilience to navigate the pandemic. The trust, sense of purpose, and shared problem-solving skills they derived from working in collaborative structures over time enabled them to regain equilibrium and to adapt to new norms, and to transform thier practices. The study highlights the power of collaborative learning to strengthen overall ability for resilient performance, and the adaptive capacity that is required to deliver and sustain quality healthcare. The study highlights the need for continuing professional education that values naturally occurring practice-based learning. Adult educators are well positioned to support health professionals and health systems to nurture and support resilient action. They bring an understanding of effective collaborative tools and processes that foster dialogue and collective awareness that leads to a shared identity and understanding. As this study reveals, it is this shared identity and capacity arising within a group that enables them to draw on their collective sources of support to deal with adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Framework for K‐12 Science Education set an ambitious goal of broadening participation in science learning for all students. Meeting this vision will involve supporting teachers in making meaningful connections with the cultural and linguistic resources their students bring to school; in essence, developing pedagogies that frame these resources as assets important to learning. In this manuscript, we present a qualitative case study of one community of high school science teachers who participated in a year‐long professional learning focused on formative assessment co‐design related to natural selection. Findings show that the process of formative assessment co‐design surfaced both deficit‐ and asset‐based statements about students' contributions. Teachers were more likely to share deficit‐based statements as compared to facilitators, whose statements were more asset‐based. This was particularly true with reference to students' prior knowledge and linguistic resources. At the same time, our analysis suggests that teachers were more likely to share more asset‐based framings of learners when practicing for and reflecting on enactment of formative assessment tasks. These findings suggest that supportive co‐design environments can encourage teachers to take more asset‐oriented views of learners. We discuss the implications of these findings for professional learning and science classroom practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers in Islamic schools are often required to navigate complex identities. They balance personal and/or school-based religious obligations with contemporary secular-based commitments to meet organisational demands for institutional compliance. Behaviourally, the motivations and attitudes of teachers play a vital role in shaping a learning environment that fosters a sense of community and caters to the needs of students. However, recent studies on Islamic education suggest a real struggle in managing such complexities. Consequently, scholars have called for specialized programs to counter such issues, focusing on the need for schools to renew their commitment to promoting educational values, principles and practices that are rooted in the Islamic tradition. Several higher education institutions have responded to this call by establishing programs in Islamic studies and Islamic education. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge of the organisational and behavioural significance of such programs on the professional identity of teachers. Using semi-structured interviews, this article presents findings from four teachers who had completed a postgraduate qualification in Islamic education at an Australian university. The six-phase thematic data analysis, informed by Muslim identity and an Islamic worldview, revealed that secular teacher education provided participants with 'a license to teach' but lacked in 'nurturing a purpose for teaching'. The findings also revealed a distinct connection between Islamic teacher education, professional learning and professional identity, whereby Islamic-based pedagogies 'enlightened and empowered' teachers toward becoming 'faith-centred' in their professional practice. While the study was limited to four teachers, it contributes knowledge to the Islamic education, organizational and behavioural fields of inquiry in two ways, by underlining that (i) the professional identities of Muslim teachers are shaped by a knowledge-seeking mindset, and (ii) Islamic teacher education and professional learning create pathways towards the renewal of teachers' professional identities in Islamic schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the practice-focused Studio professional learning (PL) model can provide incremental and ambitious teacher learning opportunities. We argue that when the model's structures and practices are grounded in ambitious and equitable teaching, they catalyze incremental teacher learning. Studio, like lesson study, supports teachers in considering the entailments of lessons, focusing on the live shared enactment to strengthen teaching and learning through collaborative analysis and reflection. To build our argument, we drew from two Studio projects that had shared structures of cycles of learning and routines, as well as shared practices of using rich representations and collective interpretations of teaching. While both projects' structures and practices take up ambitious and equitable teaching, they use different routines and attend to different features of equitable teaching. Building on a history of PL models, such as lesson study, which use similar structures and practices as powerful catalysts of teacher learning, we argue that Studio's structures and practices can catalyze teachers' incremental learning of ambitious and equitable teaching. We discuss the implications for future research based on this argument and for those leading PL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature indicates that collaborative activities can support professional learning (PL) for academics teaching in higher education (HE). Nevertheless, limited approaches for collegial PL exist that can be embedded in the day-to-day work of busy academics. This paper reports on an evidence-based approach to practice that was undertaken to develop an authentic, structured, collegial approach to PL for academics. This involved a review and synthesis of relevant literature, which revealed that collegial PL could be supported through self-initiated communities of academics; collaborative, social interaction with peers; safe, non-judgemental, supportive, conversations; critical reflection; sustained inquiry into practice; an exploration of perspectives; and bespoke resources. These findings informed the development of the Collaborative Peer-Observation Learning Circles (CPO/LC). The approach includes a four-stage process and adaptable template resources designed to facilitate academics' collegial PL while also meeting the needs of accreditation requirements in HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]