Overseas Research on Teacher Collaboration: Progress and Enlightenment

The professional development of teachers in India is still, by and large, based on formal and outdated professional learning traditions, often characterised by crash courses and one-off workshops. In education, blogs have proven to be an effective means of establishing and maintaining collaborative learning networks and helping members reflect on their professional practices. Information and communications technology (ICT) enabled practices of teacher professional development is still in its infancy in India. Moreover, there is limited research in India to secure foundational understanding of how and in what ways teachers of English in India use blogs for their professional development. This study explores the use of teacher reflective practice, teacher networking, and teacher collaboration, beyond formal ICT training, through blog-based professional development of English teachers in the Mumbai region of India. Using data collected from 32 teachers from three private schools in Mumbai, through ICT interactive workshop observations, questionnaires, interviews, and blog comments, this action case study explains whether and why blogging, as a learning community, has the potential to add significant value to existing professional development of English teachers in Mumbai.

Purpose This study examines teachers’ collaborative practice during non-instructional work time. It aims to explore teachers’ collaborative practice using diary data, analyze daily and overall relations of collaboration to teachers’ professional development (PD) and work-related stress by disentangling between- and within-person effects, and investigate whether these associations are stronger when including only collaborative activities that focus on further developing educational practice. Design/methodology/approach The study employed an end-of-day experience sampling method to investigate collaborative activities among primary school teachers in 56 schools in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Data was collected longitudinally over three weeks, with teachers (n = 559) completing daily online logbook entries (n = 7,110). Mixed-effects models were employed for data analysis, exploring between- and within-person effects. Findings On average, one-third of teachers’ non-instructional activities involved collaboration, but day-to-day variability and differences between teachers were high. Further, teachers who collaborated more overall did not report higher benefits of collaboration for PD or stress levels. However, these associations came to the fore on days when teachers collaborated more than usual. Moreover, favorable effects were identified for collaborative activities focused on advancing educational practices. Originality/value This study provides a differentiated overview of how teacher collaboration is associated with benefits for PD and work-related stress. It indicates that teachers do not perceive collaboration on exclusively organizational and administrative matters as valuable and beneficial for PD.

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.

In the era of “Internet + education”, Guangxi is confronted with significant regional imbalance in the construction of network interactive resource platform and the construction of regional and rural teacher professional development support service system. The pilot project of “Internet + Double-teacher Teaching”, taking such imbalance into consideration, and making an analysis of the current problems faced by its urban and rural teachers’ professional development, explores to set up a corresponding mechanism and an interactive resources platform. At the same time, it also tries to build a self-organizing operation mode between the local radiation pattern and urban and rural teachers’ professional development community, and build a learning community carried forward by the special-class teacher workshops, so as to resolve such prominent problems like the common endogenous development, broaden the urban and rural teachers' professional development path, and ensure a coordinated development of urban and rural teachers' professional benefited by a local resources radiation mechanism. At present, the operation mode of this project has been promoted in 14 cities in this region.

The present study aimed to explore the professional identity development of English teachers through the lens of the Possible Selves Theory, focusing on the experiences of three distinct groups of educators. An explanatory sequential mixed‐method research design was employed using 194 student, novice and experienced English teachers working or studying at various state schools in Turkey. The findings suggested that teacher groups held similar perceptions of their ideals and fears and there was not a significant difference among student, novice and experienced English teacher groups in terms of their possible selves. Additionally, the results revealed that the participants placed a significant emphasis on factors such as professional development, language proficiency, professional competence, personal attributes and recognition in relation to their ideal language teacher selves. The major fears related to their professional identity included language incompetence, inadequate professional development, undesirable personal attributes, undesired professional tendencies and a lack of recognition. The participants also noted various external and internal factors that influenced their possible selves. Based on the findings, a data‐driven model on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teacher Professional Identity Development (TPID) is proposed to contribute to the existing literature in the field. Context and Implications Rationale for this study Knowing about teachers' current thoughts and their expectations and fears for the future can aid in understanding their identities and potentially transform their future selves, thereby improving the formation of their professional identity. Why the new findings matter The findings of this study are significant as they add to the existing literature on English teachers' professional identity development using the Possible Selves Theory. This framework allows for an examination of teachers' expectations and fears, providing a comprehensive understanding of their professional selves and how these perceptions influence their future actions and goals. This knowledge is critical for designing teacher training programmes and professional development initiatives that support teachers' ongoing professional growth. Implications It is recommended to give increased attention and emphasis to the practical component of student teacher education, specifically the practicum experience, in the curriculum. Opportunities for interaction and collaboration among trainees, mentors and teacher educators should also be provided to enhance the effectiveness of the practicum. Furthermore, to address the concerns of EFL student, novice and experienced teachers about losing their enthusiasm for teaching in the future, comprehensive support mechanisms should be put in place through in‐service training and counselling services. Lastly, the Ministry of National Education could establish online and in‐person platforms to facilitate interaction and collaboration among teachers.

Professional development of teachers is essential for successful education in every country due to the technological developments and changes in social and economic textures of the societies. Science achievement of the students may relate to the professional development of the teachers. Due to that fact science teachers need to improve themselves throughout their careers to update their knowledge, skills, attitudes and approaches in light of the development of new teaching techniques and objectives, new conditions and educational research. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2015 (TIMSS) provided valuable data about professional development of science teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine and compare the science teachers’ professional development affecting the 8th grade students’ science achievement in Singapore, Korea and Turkey by using the data from TIMSS 2015. The countries in this study have different teacher training and professional development approaches so the examining and comparing practices related to professional development of different countries may give a detailed picture of how beneficial their policies are. In this quantitative research the sample consisted of 5309 Korean, 4257 Singaporean, and 6079 Turkish students and 220 teachers from Korea and Turkey each and 334 from Singapore. It is aimed to find out the relationship between the participation of professional development of teachers and science achievement of the students. In addition to that, the determinants regard to science teachers' professional development affecting the science achievement of the students is determined and compared by using regression analysis. As a result of the study, relationship and the most significant determinant between science achievement and science teachers’ professional development in three countries can be determined.

Teacher collaboration, and teacher professional development within this context, has become an area of interest in recent years. In particular, teacher education has seen the rise of collaboration as an effective school-based professional development activity, where in-service teachers plan, observe and reflect on lessons together. The most common form of teacher collaboration is between teachers within one school or department; however, in England networks do exist that involve teachers from different schools (cross-school). Of the small number of collaborations that do extend beyond a single school, few involve teachers from different age phases (cross-phase), and only a very small number of these involve teachers planning lessons together, observing and jointly reflecting on teaching practice. This article analyses and discusses the experiences of two primary school teachers in a cross-school and cross-phase collaborative year-long innovative initiative to speculate about the implications of this type of professional development. Specifically, the article examines whether cross-phase and cross-school collaboration affords primary school mathematics teachers opportunities to develop and addresses what hinders their participation. Implications for future research on primary school teacher collaborative professional development are discussed.

In Malaysia, the work of music studio teachers outside of schools and in private settings is unregulated and teachers have limited access to professional development opportunities. Globally, research on the professional development of music teachers has mostly focused on classroom music teachers, where professional development is often mandated and official support provided. However, little is known about how music studio teachers view professionalism and how they access professional development in this context, nor what this development means for them. For this interpretative phenomenological analysis, we interviewed 12 piano teachers who work in Malaysia to understand the meanings of professionalism and professional development for them. Individual themes that arose from within-case analysis were conceptually combined to form eight superordinate themes. The first four superordinate themes relate to understandings of professionalism. Participants described a professional pride which involves not only a love and enjoyment of music and of teaching, but also manifests flexibility and responsiveness; it entails both teacher and student performing and understanding music, and demonstrates relationality, communication skills, and a positive character. The remaining four superordinate themes relate to understandings of professional development, including the ideas that professional development requires proactivity, that professional development opportunities are affected by environmental and material factors, that professional connections affect development, and finally that training, experience, and mentorship support professional development. In this article, we posit that the lack of formal structures in Malaysia means that professionalism is self-determined by the teacher, while professional development relies on the individual commitment and motivation of teachers. Teachers need greater access to support systems or learning opportunities, and the move to online teacher support sessions due to the COVID disruptions offers some opportunities for supporting professional development more effectively.

This paper examined the contemporary teacher training and professional development in Nigeria as an example of the experiences in developing countries of the world. Against the background of the ascendancy of information and communications technologies in all aspects of human life this study attempted to situate the concept of Information and Communication technology at the centre of the pre-service training and continuing professional development of the Nigerian teacher. A review of some of the major challenges confronting the nation in terms of adopting a technology driven teacher education model was carried out. It also explored the potentials of ICTs for and in teachers’ professional development in Nigeria and developing countries of the world. Consequently, proposing a model of a sustainable teacher training and professional development for Nigeria and other developing countries, within the functional framework of the Information and Communication Technologies was developed to indicate how ICTs could be gradually introduced into the school systems. The study conclude by further highlighting the benefits that Nigeria and other developing countries stand to gain by adopting an ICT driven approach for the pre-service and in-service training and professional development of teachers.

Professional development for in-service teachers is necessary to meet the changing needs of students and society. This teacher collaboration study examined the experiences of mid-career elementary teachers in Korea in their music professional development. Research questions included: (1) What were the contents of discussion? (2) What was the level of participation among elementary teachers in a collaborative group? (3) How did the focus of the group change over time? The data collection included nonparticipant observation, participants’ reflective journals, researchers’ logs, and artifact collection. Findings showed that participants mainly discussed teaching strategies about music classes and reflected new knowledge that were closely related to confidence in teaching. In addition, teachers in this collaborative group played different roles throughout the group meetings depending on their expertise and interests, but there was also a need for a facilitator. Finally, teachers in the group gradually identified the importance of teacher collaboration for their professional development and attempted to be peer mentors for others outside the collaborative group.

Teacher collaboration, particularly through collaborative lesson planning, plays a key role in fostering professional development and teaching skills. This study investigates the effectiveness of the proposed Shared Collaborative Lesson Planning (SCLP) procedure in enhancing the professional development of prospective teachers through the lens of socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL). Twenty-four prospective information and technology teachers participated in two rounds of SCLP activities. Using a cyclical framework, the prospective teachers engaged in collaborative tasks supported by an online learning platform and other computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) tools. Detailed descriptions from observations, recordings, questionnaires, and interviews revealed that the SCLP procedure can help facilitate structured collaboration, improve professional skills, and encourage adaptive regulatory behaviors among the prospective teachers. The integration of CSCL tools further enhanced the effectiveness of the collaborative lesson planning process. However, challenges related to technical proficiency and emotional regulation were identified. The study concludes that the SCLP procedure offers a promising approach for teacher education by fostering a collaborative learning environment and promoting regulatory behaviors. Future research should explore the long-term impacts and adaptability across diverse educational contexts to strengthen teacher education programs or courses.

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.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of perceived organizational fairness, organizational identity, and trust on the intrinsic motivation for the professional development of university teachers. In addition, this study aims to verify the mediating role of organizational identity and trust.MethodThis study adopts a quantitative research methodology to investigate the relationship between perceived organizational fairness, organizational identity, trust, and intrinsic motivation in the professional development of university teachers by constructing and validating a structural equation model.ResultThe study shows that perceived organizational fairness has a significant positive effect on the intrinsic motivation for the professional development of university teachers. Moreover, it validates the mediating effects of organizational identity and trust in the relationship between perceived organizational fairness and intrinsic motivation for teachers’ professional development, shedding light on the psychological mechanisms underlying teachers’ professional development motivation.ConclusionOrganizational identity and trust not only directly influence teachers’ intrinsic motivation for professional development but also serve as mediators in the relationship between perceived organizational fairness and intrinsic motivation. These findings have important implications for university management in promoting teachers’ professional development and enhancing educational quality.

In our informational society, the progress leaded by the new technologies demands quick changes and the schools needs to adjust and reform their politics and educational approaches promptly. The professional development of teachers is the most important tool for adapting and improving the education to the continuous changes. Boosted by the high evaluation criteria of the teachers, a lot of professional developments programs have emerged in training institutions and organizations, adding more pressure on Romanian teachers. As a direct effect, teachers perceive the professional development as another source of stress and frustration in their work, because they feel that such programs are ineffective and time consuming. Some of the programs have received an official or informal recognition. Unfortunately, a lot of these programs lack quality, producing only slight effects and spending lots of resources and time. Our intervention highlights the importance of online professional development, which can be a platform for creativity and innovation, emphasizing good practices. In the past years, the research about the professional development in online learning environment has kept growing. Most of papers only describe the programs, without offering a clear evaluation on the impact of the respective programs on the teachers' current practices. Our proposal shows the need for empirical research that provides program models for online teacher training and objective criteria, in order to estimate which kind of program can offer better support for creativity and changes in teacher's practices. Based on the empirical research, the online training programs can become a way to exploring new patterns of collaboration and creative teaching. Recommendations for future research on the influence of online learning environments in the professional teacher's development are offered.

University education as an important cradle of talent cultivation in Chinese society, the professional ability and level of teachers also play an important role in the social supply of talent, in order to further enhance the effect and quality of talent cultivation in colleges and universities, it is necessary to vigorously promote the professional development of teachers, so as to create a high-quality teaching staff, to meet the social development of the demand for excellent talents. Interdisciplinary integration is an important path to promote teachers' professional development, which not only enables teachers to carry out educational teaching from an interdisciplinary perspective, but also enables teachers to refine their professional ability and strengthen their teaching level, so as to accomplish the task of training talents in colleges and universities in a higher quality. Therefore, in the paper, the concept and characteristics of interdisciplinary integration are analyzed in depth, its specific impact on teachers' professional competence and professional identity is analyzed, and finally an innovative path to promote the professional development of university teachers is proposed, which is used to help colleges and universities to create a high-quality professional teacher team.