Conceptualising the multifaceted impacts of a Global Englishes-oriented teacher development programme

This paper is oriented to the integrated learning bill for college teachers and integrates blockchain technology to construct a high-security and credibility assessment system for college teachers’ professional competence development. Through similarity calculation and hierarchical clustering to form a dataset related to teachers’ professional competence, the TOPSIS-gray correlation analysis algorithm is used to assess the development of teachers’ professional competence tendencies. The teacher information is then transformed to finally form an information profile panel that can comprehensively characterize the development of college teachers’ professional competence, which is stored in the blockchain in the form of a learning bill. The single feature clustering results indicate that the majority of teachers are either good or above in every professional development evaluation feature, with excellent being above 30%. In the overall clustering, only 17.91% were labeled as excellent. In the teacher professional development assessment indicators, the reaction layer (34.9) and learning layer (33.6) have a greater impact on the professional development of teachers in higher education. The F-values of teachers in different subject areas in the overall test of teacher professional development did not reach a significant level (2.11, 0.24, 0.20, and 0.42, respectively). In the correlation test, blockchain technology was significantly and positively correlated with the quality of teachers’ professional development (p<0.05). The validity of the professional development assessment system for college teachers that incorporates blockchain technology is confirmed by this study.

Research Findings: This is an evaluation study of the effectiveness of an online early mathematics professional development program for early childhood teachers. The eight online courses, along with the Math at Home: Early Math Matters website and resources, introduce early childhood teachers to mathematical concepts such as math literacy, number sense, patterns, geometry, measurement, data collection and math processes. Over 9,711 early childhood professionals participated in this professional development program, and a sample of 2,332 participants who gave consent to use their data reported on their course experiences, took quizzes, and provided qualitative feedback. In addition, a subsample of 95 participants took pre- and post-surveys on their attitudes, confidence, beliefs, and knowledge in teaching early math. The descriptive statistics of the participants’ self-reported course experiences, regression analysis of program effectiveness, and the pair wised t-test analysis of the survey data showed that program participants had positive experiences with this online professional development program, and that engagement in the program was effective in positively impacting their attitudes, confidence, beliefs, and knowledge in teaching early math. The participants’ positive experiences were associated with their demographic characteristics and their use and engagement with the course materials. Practice or Policy: Implications for future professional development efforts are identified, including scalability and the use of online professional development to impact early math learning and practice.

Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 focuses on attainment of universal primary education (UPE). Taking cognizance of the fact that attainment of the goal depends heavily on the attitudes and work of teachers involved in the delivery of primary education, this study delved into these teachers’ attitudes towards the goal as shaped by their involvement in professional development programmes, taking the case of Abeokuta South Local Government. The findings were that teacher development programmes improve teachers’ capacity and disposition towards attainment of MDG2. Pertinent recommendations for theory, policy and practice grounded on thisfinding are propounded. Keywords · Teacher development programmes · Primary education · MDGs

Leadership has long been recognized for having a significant impact on teacher learning. While research on development programs for mathematics teachers has suggested a change in focus from teachers being passive participants to becoming active learners in practice-based development programs, little is said about how this change in focus affects the principals’ role as leaders of teachers’ professional development (PD). In response to this, the presented study investigates how a Norwegian school management team facilitates and supports its mathematics teacher’s PD in their first year of participation in a particular practice-based development program. Findings from the study show that supporting teachers’ PD is easier said than done. The study highlights the importance of building teachers’ sense of ownership and having a shared overarching goal for participating in a practice-based development program. Moreover, there must be a structure and a practice for development work at school if a plan for development in practice is to be successfully implemented and fulfill teachers’ need for continuous development support. Based on the findings from this study and the use of cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and the activity system, the article suggests that at least two prerequisites must be present for practice-based development programs to serve as mediating artifacts for teachers’ PD. First, the roles involved in the development work must be defined so that the work or goal-directed actions divided between the people in the shared community act towards the same object. Second, the school leader needs support in his work as a leader of teachers’ PD.

To guarantee high-quality instruction and enhance student learning outcomes, teachers' professional development is crucial. The objective of this study was to assess how well in-service teacher training programs contributed to the professional development of primary school teachers in Pakistan's Kohat district. A sample of 300 teachers chosen by stratified random sampling was used in a quantitative study design using a survey method. A structured questionnaire consisting of 15 Likert scale items was used to gather data on topics like teacher confidence, leadership abilities, dedication to lifelong learning, teamwork, and training relevance to classroom requirements. According to the results, in-service training programs greatly raised teachers' motivation for ongoing professional development, strengthened their leadership roles, and increased their professional competencies and confidence in teaching difficult concepts. Training programs' statistically significant effects on overall teacher professional development were confirmed by inferential analysis (p < 0.001). The study comes to the conclusion that effective in-service training programs that are tailored to the particular context are essential for empowering educators, encouraging teamwork, and raising the standard of instruction in elementary schools. To maintain the benefits of training, it suggests ongoing assistance, hands-on learning opportunities, and follow-up mentoring. Policymakers, school administrators, and educational planners looking to create more effective teacher development programs can learn a lot from these findings.

This article uses activity theory to consider how teacher learning and development occurs. It aims to show that imitation and orienting activity, both of which make use of the analysis of actions into means and goals, can help explain how a group of Malaysian mathematics and science teachers learned to use the language-teaching practice of tasks for English medium content teaching. It focuses on four Malaysian mathematics and science teachers who participated in a teacher-development programme by comparing their peer microteaching lessons on weeks 2/3 and 10 of the programme. The findings show that the teachers learned to use tasks by being able to successfully imitate some task criteria before others, with the crucial criterion of a `gap' being particularly difficult to imitate. This suggests they were orienting to tasks through incomplete images, possibly because of their prior experiences as content teachers. Role reversal helped clarify their images of tasks, enabling faithful transmission to occur. This study concludes by suggesting that imitation and transmission are important to teacher development, and that further research using Galperin's orienting activity is called for.

The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 14,206 public primary school teachers and 1,406 head teachers in the senatorial districts of Kwara State. The sample for the study comprised 440 respondents selected using a multistage sampling procedure. A self-designed, validated research instrument titled “Staff Development and Teachers Job Performance” (SDTJP) was used to collect data for the study. The reliability of the instrument was ensured with a coefficient index of 0.77. The collected data were analyzed using percentage scores and regression analysis. The result shows that the frequency of conducting the program for the Kwara State primary school teachers was once every session for some programs (88.4% and termly for others (68.2%) in Kwara State primary schools. Developmental programs significantly influenced staff job performance in the schools, 58.9% (Adj. R2 =.589). The study concluded that the development programs for teachers in Kwara state primary schools were carried out termly, while some other ones came up once in a session. It was also discovered that developmental programs significantly influenced staff job performance in the state primary schools. It was recommended that the government endeavor to add conferences as part of the professional development programs made available for primary school teachers in Kwara State to enhance their pedagogic skills and competence towards meeting the expectations of the general public.

Teachers, as professional educators, are supposed to keep improving their ability in the pedagogical field. The teacher development program is one of the best ways for teachers to maintain and enhance their professionalism. Motivation has become an issue that is considered crucial to teachers' involvement in teacher development programs (TPD). However, investigating novice and experienced EFL teachers' motivation in pursuing their master's degree as a form of development activity is underexplored. This research article aims to investigate novice and experienced English teachers' voices regarding their motivation in pursuing a master's degree at a postgraduate program in one of the state universities in Bandung and the comparison between the teachers in regard to their motivation. This study employed a qualitative research approach guided by a case study design with 2 novice English teachers and 3 experienced English teachers who are currently studying at a postgraduate program as the respondents. The instrument used in this study was an interview with 9 questions adapted from a conceptual framework proposed by Alghamdi (2020). The findings revealed that the EFL teachers have several types of factors in their motivation to pursue their higher education. The factors are primarily grouped into incentive and reward factors, school factors, CPD program factors, and within-teacher factors. In comparison, all respondents have quite similar motivations with no significant difference. However, one difference was found in the reward factor in which the role of the family is more motivating in novice teachers than inexperienced teachers.

The goal of this study was to examine the development of a group of preservice teachers over three semesters during the second phase of their coursework and fieldwork in the teacher development program at a major Midwestern university. The questions at the heart of the study were whether this cohort of preservice teachers developed community. What markers of community were evidenced? What contextual factors served to support or impede the development of community? Data were collected through observation of their courses, a series of interviews with a sample of preservice teachers, and archiving artifacts of their coursework such as the course syllabi, reading materials, and their discussions online. Data analysis was grounded in theory about the nature of community, communities of practice, teacher communities, online communities and in a sociocultural theory of technological change. The findings suggest that these preservice teachers began to form community during their years in the teacher development program. This community began to evolve from a community of practice into a professional learning community as they developed from college students into practicing teachers. However, the culture of the classroom, the physical arrangement of the room and the importance given to students' voices in class and online, played a large role in fostering and supporting the development of community.

STEM professional development program for gifted education teachers: STEM lesson plan design competence, self-efficacy, computational thinking and entrepreneurial skills

The beliefs of EFL teachers are an essential term perceived in a number of educational fields. Especially in teacher education and behavioural research, this term is usually related to teachers' habits and practices in classes, considering their impact on each other. The aim of this study is to add to prior studies on the subject of teachers' beliefs and to concentrate on English language teachers (ELT). The objective is to merge the theory of instructors' beliefs with Global English (GE). The research question 'what are the Kuwaiti instructors' beliefs about ELT and their awareness of Global English?' formalizes these aims. To accomplish the research: To discover teachers' beliefs about ELT and their awareness of Global English. This research concentrates on English language teachers at the university level. The collection of data has been conducted over two months. For data collection and interpretation, this study adopted a qualitative research methodology. Surveys were chosen as the instrument for data collection. The study used qualitative content analysis in relation to the data analysis method. Moreover, the findings were evaluated based on a deductive and inductive approach to qualitative data analysis. Results indicated various kinds of teachers' beliefs about ELT. Including views about the English language, ELT in relation to the standards, ELT with regard to the GE context. English-language beliefs played a central role in shaping two other views, which were considered secondary beliefs. Except for the content of teachers' beliefs, the study's findings have shown two significant categories of influences: internal and external, that affect the development and application of teachers' beliefs in classrooms.
 In this study, the internal factor referred mainly to English-language teaching beliefs based on its ability to influence other cognitive constructs (i.e., different convictions, behaviours, sensitivity) and teaching practices. As far as external factors are concerned, the teachers' diverse experiences with individuals (e.g., parents and retired teachers) and administrative legislation (e.g., policy and curriculum) are the main factors.
 Finally, it was possible to conclude the findings of this analysis in the same manner as previous studies, which combined teacher cognition theory with the field of GE. In other words, teacher beliefs play a crucial part in the teacher's cognitive system as a decisive role in their teaching practice. This study proposes further research to reinforce the results of contemporary research in this area.

Purpose While it is particularly important that professional programs help teachers become members of a community of practice, especially in crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lack of research about strategies to effectively encourage the development of a community of practice and to support teachers’ transformation of their way of teaching. Thus, this paper aims to report on lessons learned from a blended professional development (PD) program for elementary and middle school teachers in Japan focused on computer programming education. In particular, the authors explored how application of the creative learning principles in the blended teacher PD may have helped to nurture a community of practice among teachers in Japan, and how the creative learning principles may be a valuable framework for designing online or blended teacher PD to support teachers’ transition into emergency remote education. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on the lessons learned from two iterations of blended teacher PD situated within a larger design-based research project on applying creative learning pedagogy in teacher PD. Creative learning is a learning approach focused on engagement in personally meaningful projects by tinkering with materials and learning from peers. A total of 26 teachers and coaches participated, all of whom work in elementary or middle schools across Nagano prefecture in Japan. Participant experiences were evaluated based on a pre-survey and a post-survey conducted before and after the in-person kick-off camp; observation notes taken; a final report submitted by each teacher; a debrief meeting at the end of the program; and semi-structured interviews with three selected participants after the program concluded. For this paper, the authors focus on two participants who fully and actively engaged in the program, and they introduce their stories to highlight the outcomes from the PD. Findings The results highlight how a blended PD designed to support creative learning of teachers provided teachers with opportunities to gain help from other teachers and cultivate their expertise. The results also illustrated that how a community of practice emerged from the PD program, providing teachers with moral support when they tried new lesson designs. This paper offers several recommendations for designing professional learning experiences for instructional designers and professional developers that incorporate remote learning technologies. Originality/value While an increased number of studies have shown the values of online and blended communities of practice for teacher PD, there are still limited insights on different strategies to support teachers in transforming their teaching practices. They generally do not provide teachers with opportunities to continue learning with and from one another beyond the program itself. This study examined the teachers’ experiences in a unique PD that implemented a creative learning approach into a blended learning environment for teachers.

Teacher competence is widely recognized as a key factor in promoting student achievement. However, this study inPublic SecondarySchool revealed contrasting patterns. Correlation analysis showed a strong negative relationship between measured teacher competence and student academic performance (r = –0.63, p < 0.001). While this indicates a significant association, the negative direction suggests that high competence scores, as measured by PPST indicators, did not correspond to higher student outcomes. This mismatch may reflect gaps between formal standards and the realities of student learning needs. By contrast, students’ perceptions of teacher competence demonstrated a weak but significant positive correlation with performance (r = 0.22, p = 0.01). Although weak, this result highlights the motivational role of perceived teacher effectiveness, suggesting that students who view their teachers as competent are more likely to engage and achieve better academically. This underscores the importance of relational and affective dimensions of teaching, beyond technical skills alone. Qualitative findings pointed to barriers such as workload, limited training, and lack of institutional support. These issues may limit the translation of competence into learning gains. Thus, the proposed Teacher Development and Instructional Impact Program (TDIIP) aims to align competence with inclusive pedagogy and student-centered practices. The study concludes that competence alone does not determine achievement; perceptions and systemic supports are equally critical.

ABSTRACTThe primary objective of a multiregional clinical trial (MRCT) is to assess the efficacy of all participating regions and evaluate the probability of applying the overall results to a specific region. The consistency assessment of the target region with the overall results is the most common way of evaluating the efficacy in a specific region. Recently, Huang et al. (2012) proposed an additional trial in the target region to an MRCT to evaluate the efficacy in the target ethnic (TE) population under the framework of simultaneous global drug development program (SGDDP). However, the operating characteristics of this statistical framework were not well considered. Therefore, a nested group sequential program for regional efficacy evaluation is proposed in this paper. It is an extension of Huang’s SGDDP framework and allows interim analysis after MRCT and in the course of local clinical trial (LCT) phase. It is able to well control the family-wise type I error in the program level and enhances the flexibility of the program. In LCT sample size estimation, we introduce virtual trial, which is transformed from the original program by using discounting factor, and an iteration method is employed to calculate the sample size and stopping boundaries of interim analyses. The proposed sample size estimation method is validated in the simulations and the effect of varied weight, effect size of TE population, and design setting is explored. Examples with normal end point, binary end point, and survival end point are shown to illustrate the application of the proposed nested group sequential program.

Recently, a design was proposed for the Simultaneous Global Drug Development Program (SGDDP) to assess the impact of ethnic factors on the effect of a new treatment for a targeted ethnic (TE) population. It used weighted Z tests to combine the information collected from the TE and non-TE (NTE) subgroups in the SGDDP based on the fundamental assumption on their shared biological commonality. In this article, we mathematically formulated this assumption as the quantitative interaction between treatment effect and subgroup. We used it to more rigorously describe the hypotheses, and showed the unbiasedness of the weighted Z test. Moreover, to study the loss of efficiency from down weighting the NTE information in this SGDDP design, we compared the power of their test with that of the uniformly most powerful (UMP) test, which we showed was also a weighted Z test. We discussed that the choice of weight should balance the maximization of power when the assumption holds and the minimization of bias otherwise.