Implementing the Professional Development Program

The Clown Group – Engineers without Borders (Knowledge Connections) is a group of clowns formed by Engineers and Engineering students. The theoretical basis of the Clown Group goes back to the origins of Jerzy Grotowski's “poor theater” (1933–1999). Concerning the use of music, theater and dance to present and promote the pleasure of art, the Group values the interaction with the public and does not worry about the structural elements commonly characterized by the theater as stage and lighting. In this way, the Clown Group promotes a Humanistic Formation of its members by providing a development in the capacity of communication, contact with the external community and also the satisfaction, by allowing the art to be spread in a simple and effective way. The objective of this work is to analyze the importance of Humanistic Training in the professional and personal development of Engineers and Engineering students, treating as a special case the Humanistic Training linked to the actions of the Clown Group – Engineers without Borders (Knowledge Connections). As a hypothesis, it is expected that the experience of members and ex–members of the Clown Group can be proven through their training and presentations over the years. In order to evaluate the personal and professional development of members and ex–members of the Clown Group during the training process, a qualitative research was carried out, via an applied questionnaire, in addition to a documentary research by observation, in which data were collected through analysis and observation of photos and documents of the Clown Group. In addition, Artificial Neural Networks were used to correlate the members and ex–members based on the two applied researches. The members and ex–members of the Clown Group have experienced a major break in introspection, significantly improving their way of communicating with society. The members and ex–members presented an improvement in the way they relate to each other in a team, a fundamental aspect of an Engineer's professional life. The Clown Group presents itself as a very important action for Humanistic Training and the professional and personal development of Engineers and Engineering students. The diffusion of art in the academic and external community promoted by the Clown Group also allows the deconstruction of the stereotype that the areas of Engineering and the Arts cannot coexist.

Technology integration transformed education, redefining the teaching and learning experience. Today's classrooms have come a long way from the days of textbooks and blackboards. This study focuses on the design and development of an instructional module aimed at enhancing faculty digital competence in technology integration within higher education. Employing a Design and Development Research (DDR) methodology and guided by the ADDIE Model, the research involved comprehensive needs assessments through stakeholder interviews and expert evaluations. The instructional module was structured to address identified gaps in faculty technology integration skills and is grounded in Kolb’s Triple E Model of Engaging, Enhancing, and Extending learning experiences. Evaluation results from a panel of experts revealed that the module effectively met several key pedagogical standards, demonstrating high levels of content clarity, engagement, and appropriateness for professional development needs. Despite these strengths, the findings indicated opportunities for improvement, particularly in the areas of content inclusivity for diverse learners and the incorporation of structured self-assessment and reflection opportunities. Recommendations emerging from the study include enhancing content tailored to varied learning styles, fostering deeper reflective practices, establishing continuous feedback mechanisms, and conducting professional development sessions to support effective module implementation. This study underscores the importance of continually refining instructional resources to empower faculty in effectively integrating technology within their teaching practices, ultimately enhancing student learning experiences in the digital era.

This study delves into the perceptions and needs of Bangladeshi university teachers regarding Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in classroom teaching. Using a quantitative approach, data was collected from 110 teachers through a standardized questionnaire. The goal of the study is to improve CPD programs by aligning them with the teachers’ needs and perceptions. The results reveal that although many teachers actively participate in CPD activities, their perception of its importance and the support they receive from their institutions varies. While a minority of participants believe CPD is crucial for their current employment, many express encouragement from their institutions to engage in CPD. Popular methods of continuous professional development include attending seminars, webinars, workshops, and accessing online resources. However, teachers face several challenges in participating in CPD, such as limited resources, language barriers, technological constraints, and inadequate institutional support. These limitations highlight the need for more accessible and supportive CPD programs. Teachers prefer CPD activities that promote collaboration, flexibility, and align with their professional goals. They also expect CPD to cover aspects such as curriculum development, teaching methods, and technology integration. The findings stress the importance of initiating CPD programs that cater to the individual needs and preferences of university teachers. Institutions should provide more resources, such as flexible scheduling, financial assistance, and internal workshops, to address the identified challenges and meet teachers’ expectations. By doing so, CPD programs can enhance professional development, classroom performance, and overall teaching satisfaction. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the CPD requirements and perspectives of university teachers, which can guide the development of more effective and targeted professional development activities in Bangladesh. Teachers face various challenges to CPD participation, including limited resources, language problems, technology constraints, and insufficient institutional support. These limitations highlight the importance of more supporting and accessible CPD programs. Teachers prefer CPD activities that promote collaboration, flexibility, and alignment with professional goals. Curriculum development, teaching methods, and technology integration are all expected aspects of CPD. The findings emphasize the need to initiate CPD programs that suit university teachers' individual needs and preferences. Institutions should provide more facilities through flexible scheduling, financial assistance, and internal workshops. By resolving the identified challenges and adapting teachers' expectations, CPD programs can enhance professional development, classroom performance, and overall teaching satisfaction. This study offers in-depth insights into university teachers' CPD requirements and perspectives, influencing the enhancement of more effective and targeted professional development activities in Bangladesh.

This study examined teachers' professional development, technology integration, and learners' engagement in the Schools Division of Passi City, Province of Iloilo, Philippines, for the school year 2023-2024. Data was gathered using a researcher-developed questionnaire, which had been validated and tested for reliability. Statistical tools used included frequency count, percentage, mean, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and Spearman's rho, all with the assistance of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The level of significance was set at 0.05 alpha. The study revealed that teachers in the Schools Division of Passi City demonstrated high levels of professional development, valuing it as useful feedback. However, participation in external pedagogical training was lower. High technology integration was evident, particularly in using Google Classroom and MS Excel for grading, but moderate in other areas such as data entry, visual aids, and PowerPoint creation. Learner engagement was assessed as very high, characterized by punctuality, classroom preparation, and active participation in science and technology activities. Significant differences in teachers' professional development, technology integration, and learners' engagement were found when classified by school district, but not by educational attainment, length of service, position, or subject taught. A significant relationship was observed between teachers' professional development, technology integration, and learners' engagement.

Professional and leadership development is one recommended strategy to support and retain female engineers and computer scientists in their professional careers in industry or academia. Since activities for continued learning in post-graduation environments, such as opportunities for reflection to align with the individual's professional objectives and development of strategies that further their advancement, occur in the form of professional development training, it is valuable to expose undergraduate students to similar structures prior to their transition to the professional workforce. In this program, a book club model was used to introduce personal and professional development as a complement to technical training for female undergraduate engineering and computer science students to promote learning and growth in their education and through their careers. Three cohorts ranging in size from 2 to 10 students read and discussed "Playing Big" by Tara Mohr over four sessions every other week. The book presents tools and concepts to support women to share their ideas, their voices, and take actions that align with their aspirations and life's purpose. Historical societal reasons why women may hold themselves back from achieving their true potential are also exposed. Participant feedback showed that the discussion setting to review the topics in the book and to share their own stories with a group of peers was preferred over learning the tools introduced in the book on their own. Participants planned to continue practicing the skills they learned and indicated they would be likely to participate in professional development in the future.

An effective technology leader is a public advocate of the mission-driven use of technology, capable of providing guidance in various aspects of using technologies such as technology plans, professional development, dissemination of pertinent information, and other related responsibilities. This chapter defines technology integration and technology leadership that support the central themes of the book, followed with a synopsis of the issues described in the proceeding chapters. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce readers to the discussions that will emerge throughout the book and link the topics raised back to the central themes of effective technology integration and its leadership.

Introduction Since 1974, the World Health Organization has recommended the training of health and education professionals in sexology and sexual health. A wide range of studies and programs related to sexuality have been developed globally since the late 19th century, primarily in Europe. This movement also emerged in Latin America in the early 20th century and gradually strengthened in its second half. Methods This is a cross-sectional study to explore and describe main characteristics of professional sexology training programs offered in Latin America and the Caribbean region. It is part of a Global Project of the Professional Education Committee in Sexology of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed by email to sexologists via the WAS Media Committee and the Latin American Federation of Societies of Sexology and Sexual Education. Results A total of 136 responses were received, of which 75 valid responses from professional sexologist training programs were included for analysis. These came from 11 continental countries and one Caribbean territory. The main orientations of these programs included educational, basic, clinical, and/or social sexology. The academic levels of the programs were, in descending order: Certificate/Diploma, Master’s degree, Continuing Education, Undergraduate Courses, Short Courses, and Doctoral level. Discussion There is considerable diversity in the characteristics of professional training programs in sexology. As the first regional study of its kind, this research offers a foundation for establishing consensus on educational levels and academic discipline orientations. It highlights the need for Latin American countries to create professional positions for sexologists within public health and education institutions.

This chapter explores the pedagogical approaches in STEAM education, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. It highlights the effectiveness of project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, collaborative learning, and technology integration in creating engaging and meaningful educational experiences. Despite the challenges of implementing STEAM pedagogy, such as the need for additional training, resources, and inclusive practices, the chapter underscores the immense benefits for students and society. By adopting best practices, including fostering a STEAM culture, providing ongoing professional development, building community partnerships, and employing diverse assessment methods, educators can ensure that STEAM education reaches its transformative potential. Through these strategies, educators can prepare students for the complexities of the 21st century, equipping them with the skills necessary for success in a rapidly evolving world.

This study examined the professional and personal development of private and public senior high school teachers in Jones, Isabela, Philippines. Using a descriptive survey design, 60 teachers completed questionnaires assessing their demographic profiles, 21st-century competencies, and personal and professional capabilities. The results showed high proficiency across most areas, with no significant differences between private and public school teachers. Educational attainment positively impacted professional capabilities. Teachers demonstrated strong skills in classroom management, communication, and creating a respectful learning environment. However, areas for improvement include supporting learners and adapting to technological changes. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing professional development to enhance teaching practices and student outcomes. Key implications include the need for collaborative learning experiences, technology integration, and curriculum design that incorporates real-world applications. The recommendations emphasize personalized professional development programs, reassessing assessment methods, and creating inclusive learning environments. This study contributes to understanding teacher development in the Philippine context, particularly by comparing the private and public sectors. This underscores the critical role of teacher motivation and enthusiasm in fostering student engagement. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of professional development initiatives and examine rural-urban disparities in teacher capabilities. Overall, the study advocates for a holistic transformation of educational practices to better equip teachers to meet 21st-century challenges and improve students’ learning experiences.

This study examined the impact of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) on the teaching practices of elementary teachers in the classroom. Specifically, it explored the extent of teachers’ participation in CPD unit earning activities; their perceptions of CPD’s influence on pedagogical knowledge, classroom management, and student engagement; the facilitating factors that support CPD implementation; and the logistical challenges that hinder participation. Using a descriptive research design, data were gathered through a structured survey administered to elementary teachers, and results were analyzed using mean, frequency, and ranking. Findings revealed that teachers have a moderate level of participation in CPD activities, with strong engagement in programs related to instructional strategies but lower involvement in assessment-related trainings. Teachers perceived CPD as having a positive impact on their teaching practice, particularly in improving instructional approaches, managing classroom dynamics, and fostering student engagement. The study also identified several facilitating factors such as cost-friendly programs, accessible training venues, digital platforms, administrative support, and flexible scheduling. However, teachers faced notable challenges including financial constraints, inaccessible venues, limited digital literacy, heavy workloads, and insufficient dissemination of CPD information. Based on the findings, the study proposed strategies to strengthen CPD implementation, focusing on accessibility, affordability, administrative support, and the integration of technology. This research concludes that while CPD significantly enhances teaching practices, its effectiveness relies on addressing logistical barriers and aligning programs with teachers’ real needs.

While technology is prevalent in American classrooms, meaningful technology integration remains an issue, indicating a lack of effective professional development. Unlike the typical workshop model, professional learning communities (PLCs) utilize teacher-centered approaches to professional development. Kolb’s experiential learning theory, Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, and the expectancy-value model work together to provide the theoretical foundation supporting professional development through PLCs. This article proposes a plan for transformative technology integration using a PLC model for professional development.

The topic of standards-based instruction is currently at the forefront of conversations about education at every level, including teacher education and professional development. The proliferation of state curriculum standards over the past decade and the recent development of the Common Core State (CCSS) for English/Language Arts and Mathematics as well as the release of the second draft of the Next Generation Science (NGSS) in January 2013 have fueled this conversation. Standards-based curriculum and assessment, and the accompanying accountability associated with their implementation, place considerable pressure on preservice and inservice teacher educators to enable teachers to effectively incorporate the standards into instruction. The more recent content standards emphasize student depth of knowledge, higher order thinking, and adaptive application that places great demands on the kind of teaching skills that few teachers currently possess (Lampert, this issue) and will require particular attention to the type of professional development needed for both preservice and inservice teachers (Moon, Michaels, & Reiser, 2012). In our Call for Manuscripts for this theme issue, we invited empirical or conceptual manuscripts addressing teacher professional development in the context of reforms such as CCSS. Our intent was to move the community forward in understanding and studying the nature and impact of professional development focused on recent standards-based curricular reforms. Three articles emerged which addressed the topic either directly through (a) design of professional development programs for CCSS (Marrongelle, this issue) or indirectly through (b) examination of the relationship between teacher education and the alignment of instruction with standards (Polikoff, this issue) and (c) examination of teacher education strategies to develop the kind of teaching practices associated with rigorous curricular reforms (Lampert, this issue). Overview of Features and Articles This issue is divided conceptually into three parts. The first part represents the theme of standards-based instruction discussed previously and features three articles. The first article, Scaling up Professional Development in an Era of Common State Standards by Karen Marrongelle, Paola Sztajn, and Margaret Smith, describes the process and outcomes of a project to generate design recommendations for professional development programs to support CCSS in mathematics (CCSSM). While the focus is mathematics, the authors argue that the process and many of the elements are applicable to other content areas. The project involved the collaboration of practitioners and researchers representing a mixture of expertise (math, math education, assessment, policy, equity, and systems-thinking) and resulted in a set of recommendations for large-scale, systems-level professional development aligned with CCSSM. The second article, Education, Experience, and the Practice of Aligned Instruction by Morgan Polikoff uses a large-scale survey approach to examine the relationship between teacher education and experiences and teacher reports of their content coverage in comparison with content analyses of state standards. The author found that more experienced teachers, beyond the 1st year and up to 11 years of experience, with more content area courses exhibited more aligned instruction. However, the effects were small and the author suggests that other factors such as work environment and student characteristics and consideration of more precise measures of teacher education may be needed. The findings indicate that more professional development support for standards implementation may be needed for preservice and 1st-year teachers as well as more experienced teachers. The last theme article, Keeping It Complex: Using Rehearsals to Support Novice Teacher Learning of Ambitious Teaching by Lampert, Franke, Kazemi, Ghousseini, Turrou, Beasly, Cunard, and Crowe, provides a very different approach to standards-based instruction. …

This article describes two consecutive enactments of technology-oriented teacher professional development designs, aimed at helping teachers find high-quality online learning resources and use them in designing effective problem-based learning (PBL) activities for their students. To align with current professional development prescriptions, in the first enactment, teachers learned PBL design skills concurrently with technology skills. Following aspects of design-based research, the professional development theory, participant feedback, and results from the first enactment informed the design of the second. In this second enactment, technology skills were separated and presented prior to learning about PBL. Results from a mixed-methods study of impact indicated that both professional development enactments were associated with large increases in teacher knowledge, experience, and confidence with regards to technology use and integration. Variations in the level of PBL usage by teachers in their activities, and the degree to which they discuss PBL and technology integration are presented alongside limitations, practical significance, scholarly significance, and planned future work.

Background/Context Although there is a growing body of literature on the characteristics of effective professional development, there is little direct evidence on the extent to which these characteristics influence teacher learning and practice. In particular, few studies exist to date that demonstrate the impact of technology-focused professional development on teacher learning and practice. Even fewer studies have examined teacher learning for more than a year to understand the sustainability and growth of professional development gains. Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the long-term impact of research-based professional development on teacher learning and practice with respect to technology. Analysis is based on data collected from 7 urban teachers 2 years after their participation in a yearlong, technology-focused professional development program. Follow-up data are compared with data collected by the author during the teachers’ participation in professional development to (1) investigate the sustainability and growth of teachers’ learning, (2) identify the conditions that facilitated or hindered teachers’ capacity to further develop their thinking, knowledge, and practice with regard to technology, and (3) map the trajectory of teachers’ learning over a 3-year period. Research Design The study employed a qualitative multiple case study design. Data were collected from multiple sources that included teacher interviews, surveys, classroom observations, and collection of artifacts. Two outcomes were defined as critical measures of long-term learning: sustainability and growth. Findings/Results Results indicated that participation in research-based professional development fostered sustained changes in teachers’ educational technology knowledge, ability to design and implement technology-supported experiences for students, and beliefs toward teaching and learning with technology. In two cases, these changes became the basis for continual learning and led to ongoing professional growth. Further, findings revealed three factors that influenced teacher learning over time: (1) student characteristics, (2) access to resources, and (3) social support and opportunities for collaboration with peers. Conclusions/Recommendations Findings of the study suggest that participation in professional development that is grounded in the currently accepted best practices can impact teacher learning and practice. They also offer insights into the process by which teachers modify their knowledge, practices, and beliefs and the conditions that influence learning over time. Further, they provide new lenses for analyzing teacher learning that suggest looking more closely into the interactive relationship between practices and beliefs, as well as the ways in which classroom experience influences continual learning and change.

The article deals with the structure of the educational levels of high-quality professional training of future designers. The phenomenon of the educational quality at all its levels has been defined. There has been also scientifically substantiated the concept of design education that serves as the subject of cultural, aesthetic and creative research, as well as the professional becoming of professionals in this field. It has been noted that the educational environment of future designers' professional training presents the consistent system formation of their professional orientation and development. The constituent of the levels of future designers' professional development is their vocational guidance, which is reflected in the following aspects: the ability to manifest a taste for a certain kind of activity, take responsibility for the consequences of one's own choice, to develop diligence, working capacity, orientation at own capabilities and affections. The training process of students emphasizes the concept "person-design-environment" which leads to the main areas of activity: forming consciousness, developing skills, applying theory in practice. As for higher school, the structure of professional basis of assessing consequences of professional activities is building there. Besides it is oriented at the development of personal creative skills, providing mobility and competitiveness. Postgraduate education is focused on the ability to perform professional duties, to get an appointment according to one's qualification level, selfdevelopment and self-assessment of professional competence and personal development. It is the implementation of the system of multileveled professional training of future designers which will effectively assist its quality improvement. The educational environment will depend on the educational institution which successfully combines staff, region, economic development, and traditions. The activity of a teacher and a student at all educational levels will provide the education quality improvement and professional skills acquisition.