Abstract: Background: There has been concern that trainees are seldom observed, assessed, and given feedback during their workplacebased education. This has led to an increasing interest in a variety of formative assessment methods that require observation and offer the opportunity for feedback. Aims: To review some of the literature on the efficacy and prevalence of formative feedback, describe the common formative assessment methods, characterize the nature of feedback, examine the effect of faculty development on its quality, and summarize the challenges still faced. Results: The research literature on formative assessment and feedback suggests that it is a powerful means for changing the behaviour of trainees. Several methods for assessing it have been developed and there is preliminary evidence of their reliability and validity. A variety of factors enhance the efficacy of workplace-based assessment including the provision of feedback that is consistent with the needs of the learner and focused on important aspects of the performance. Faculty plays a critical role and successful implementation requires that they receive training. Conclusions: There is a need for formative assessment which offers trainees the opportunity for feedback. Several good methods exist and feedback has been shown to have a major influence on learning. The critical role of faculty is highlighted, as is the need for strategies to enhance their participation and training.

Abstract: This article explores the benefits and challenges of blended learning in higher education from the perspective of students, faculty, and administration that have had direct experience with this form of course delivery. Students indicate that a blended learning model provides them with greater time flexibility and improved learning outcomes but that initially they encounter issues around time management, taking greater responsibility for their own learning, and using sophisticated technologies. Faculty suggest that blended courses create enhanced opportunities for teacher-student interaction, increased student engagement in learning, added flexibility in the teaching and learning environment, and opportunities for continuous improvement. They state that the challenges faced in developing such a course include a lack of time, support and resources for course redesign, acquiring new teaching and technology skills, plus the risks associated with delivering a course in a blended format. From an administrative perspective, blended learning presents the opportunity to enhance an institution’s reputation, expand access to an institution’s educational offerings, and reduce operating costs. The challenges consist of aligning blended learning with institutional goals and priorities, resistance to organizational change and lack of organizational structure and experience with collaboration and partnerships.

Abstract: This paper draws upon data from a longitudinal, multi‐site, mixed methods project which found that commitment and resilience are fundamental to teachers' effectiveness, and that variations in professional, personal and workplace conditions in different professional life phases affect these. It found also that teachers do not necessarily learn through experience; that expertise is not acquired in an even, incremental way; and that teachers are at greater risk of being less effective in later phases of their professional lives. The paper develops these findings. Moreover, it argues that the contexts for teachers' professional learning and development are, by definition, different from those who do not work in human service organisations, since teachers are essentially engaged in work which has fundamental moral and ethical as well as instrumental purposes. Their capacity to exercise these effectively relates to their ability to manage positive and negative ‘scenarios’ in different professional life phases. ...

Abstract: In the original chapter (1997), Feldman explores how student ratings can be used to identify those teachers who are seen by students as exemplary, while noting certain precautions (which involve myths, half-truths and bias) in doing so. He also analyzes how exemplary teaching itself can be identified in terms of specific pedagogical dispositions, behaviors and practices of teachers. While the essential findings of this earlier analysis remain valid, there have been changes in the nature and focus of research on college teaching and its evaluation. As well, new challenges and developments are forcing higher education to rethink its paradigms and practices in such areas as teaching, the evaluation of faculty performance, and the kinds of support faculty need to meet the increasingly complex professional demands placed on the professoriate. The co-authors of the commentary and update (Theall and Feldman) review the principal findings of the original chapter, discuss the literature of the past decade, and offer suggestions for ways in which higher education and the professoriate can survive and flourish in the future

Abstract: This article examines the issue of strengthening self-study research in teacher education by consciously situating individual studies within coherent research programs on particular substantive iss...

Abstract: This study assessed the influence of a 3-year professional development program on elementary teachers' views of nature of science (NOS), instructional practice to promote students' appropriate NOS views, and the influence of participants' instruction on elementary student NOS views. Using the VNOS-B and associated interviews the researchers tracked the changes in NOS views of teacher participants throughout the professional development program. The teachers participated in explicit–reflective activities, embedded in a program that emphasized scientific inquiry and inquiry-based instruction, to help them improve their own elementary students' views of NOS. Elementary students were interviewed using the VNOS-D to track changes in their NOS views, using classroom observations to note teacher influences on student ideas. Analysis of the VNOS-B and VNOS-D showed that teachers and most grades of elementary students showed positive changes in their views of NOS. The teachers also improved in their science pedagogy, as evidenced by analysis of their teaching. Implications for teacher professional development programs are made. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 653–680, 2007

Abstract: A yearlong experimental study showed positive effects of a professional development project that involved 19 urban elementary schools, 180 teachers, and 3735 students from one of the lowest performing school districts in California Algebraic reasoning as generalized arithmetic and the study of relations was used as the centerpiece for work with teachers in Grades 1?5 Participating teachers generated a wider variety of student strategies, including more strategies that reflected the use of relational thinking, than did nonparticipating teachers Students in participating classes showed significantly better understanding of the equal sign and used significantly more strategies reflecting relational thinking during interviews than did students in classes of nonparticipating teachers

Abstract: (2007) From Mentor to Mentoring Networks: Mentoring in the New Academy Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning: Vol 39, No 6, pp 58-61

Abstract: An instructional specialist helps colleagues implement effective teaching strategies. This help might include ideas for differentiating instruction or planning lessons in partnership with fellow teachers. Instructional specialists might study research-based classroom strategies (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001); explore which instructional methodologies are appropriate for the school; and share findings with colleagues.

Abstract: An examination of the role of research in business. The authors argue that scholars producing research in business fields are subject to stricter research standards due to the fact that they must p...

Abstract: Faculty may perceive many barriers to active learning in their classrooms. Four groups of participants in a faculty development workshop were asked to list their perceived barriers to active learning. Many of the problems identified were present on more than one list. The barriers fall into three categories: student characteristics, issues directly impacting faculty, and pedagogical issues. While many of the faculty perceptions are correct, others are not. Understanding teachers' perceptions about the barriers to active learning in their classrooms is the first step in devising strategies for helping faculty change the way they teach.

Abstract: Objective This study aimed to establish documentation standards for medical education activities, beyond educational research, for academic promotion consistent with principles of excellence and scholarship. Methods In 2006 a Consensus Conference on Educational Scholarship was convened by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Education Affairs (GEA) to outline a set of documentation standards for use by educators and academic promotion committees. Conference participants' work was informed by more than 15 years of literature on scholarship, educator portfolios and academic promotion standards. Results The 110 conference participants, including medical school deans, academic promotion committee members, department chairs, faculty and AAMC leaders, re-affirmed the 5 education activity categories (teaching, curriculum, advising and/or mentoring, education leadership and/or administration, and learner assessment), the contents of each category, and cross-category documentation standards. Educational excellence requires documentation of the quantity and quality of education activities. Documenting a scholarly approach requires demonstrating evidence of drawing from and building on the work of others, and documenting scholarship requires contributing work through public display, peer review and dissemination; both involve engagement with the community of educators. Implementation of these standards – quantity, quality and engagement with the education community – should occur in parallel with the development of an infrastructure to support educators, including sustained faculty development for educators, access to educational resources and journals, peer review mechanisms and consultation and support specific to each activity category. Conclusions Educators' contributions to their institutions must be visible to be valued. The establishment of documentation standards for education activities provides the foundation for academic recognition of educators.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine how leaders foster school renewal by facilitating and participating in the types of teacher professional learning and development that improve student academic and nonacademic outcomes The methodology involved a backward mapping strategy that takes as its starting point, not theories of leadership, but professional development initiatives that have made a demonstrable impact on the students of the teachers involved Eighteen studies with evidence of such impact were analysed for descriptions of the leadership practices involved in each initiative Through an iterative process of review and critique, these descriptions were categorised into the leadership dimensions associated with teacher professional learning that resulted in improved student outcomes The analysis revealed five leadership dimensions that were critical in fostering teacher and student learning: providing educational direction; ensuring strategic alignment; creating a community that learns how to improve student success; engaging in constructive problem talk; selecting and developing smart tools The analysis showed that leadership of the improvement of learning and teaching is highly distributed in terms of both who leads and how it is enacted Such leadership is embedded in school routines that are aligned to improvement goals, and involves the use of smart tools that are designed to assist teachers’ learning of more effective pedagogical practices

Abstract: This study undertook a phenomenographic analysis of academics’ ways of approaching their growth and development as a university teacher. The focus of the study is on the meanings and intentions underlying different ways of going about developing as a teacher, and how this relates to the ways in which academics understand the nature of teaching development and being a university teacher. Five different approaches to developing as a university teacher emerged, varying from a focus on building up a better knowledge of one’s content area, in order to become more familiar with what to teach, to continually increasing one’s understanding of what works and does not work for students, in order to become more effective in facilitating student learning. The approaches experienced by academics, and the meanings and intentions associated with them, are seen as constituting constraints on their potential for developing as a teacher. Implications for academic development are discussed.

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine mentoring relationships involving minority graduate students in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – The authors take a multifaceted approach to providing strategies to improve the opportunities of minority students to acquire mentors by directing attention to institutional practices, faculty development, and the behaviors of students themselves.Findings – Mentoring relationships provide critical personal and professional development opportunities throughout one's career. These relationships are especially important for racial minorities who often lack access to informal networks and information that is required to be successful in academic and professional environments in which they are under‐represented. The lack of mentors for minority graduate students is important to consider given the potential impact of this experience for minority graduate students’ retention and subsequent success, but also for the future diversity of the discipline (especially i...

Abstract: This article explores how knowledge can be built and shared in teachers' learning communities. The author creates two portraits of learning communities in action and contrasts them. Because teachers need to be knowledgeable in ever-changing contexts, ongoing professional learning simply must be part-and-parcel of their work. But how teacher learning is conceived and practiced constructs the relationship between teachers and knowledge. Should teachers be passive recipients of others' expertise? Should they be researchers, scholars, theorizers? The author suggests teacher learning communities offer the opportunity to recapture a Deweyan approach to teacher professionalism, one that involves systematic observations and analyses of classrooms and student work and ongoing collegial dialogue. At the heart of the author's argument is a vision of teachers not only as users of pedagogical knowledge, but also as creators, disseminators, and preservers of it.

Abstract: Many school districts nationwide are experiencing rapid growth in the number of students of color, culturally and linguistically diverse students, and students from low-income families. From my work with education leaders in some of these diversity-enhanced school districts, I know they are places of vibrant opportunity— places that call us to meaningful and exciting work. In these “welcome-to-America” schools, the global community shows up in our classrooms every day, inviting us— even requiring us—to grow as we learn from and with our students and their families.

Abstract: Summary The U.S. educational system invests heavily, in both time and money, in continuing education for teachers. In this article Heather Hill examines the effectiveness of two forms of teacher learning—graduate coursework and professional development. She focuses first on graduate education. Almost half of all teachers have a master’s degree. Many states allow graduate coursework to count toward recertification requirements. Some districts require teachers to complete a master’s degree within several years of hiring, and many others reward it with salary increases. Education reformers often recommend requiring master’s degrees. But much graduate coursework appears to be of low intellectual quality and disconnected from classroom practice. Most research finds no link between teachers’ graduate degrees and student learning unless the degree is in the teacher’s primary teaching field. Hill then examines professional development. Most workshops, institutes, and study groups appear to be brief, superficial, and of marginal use in improving teaching. But it does not have to be this way, says Hill. Professional development can enhance teaching and learning if it has three characteristics. It must last several days or longer; it must focus on subject-matter-specific instruction; and it must be aligned with the instructional goals and curriculum materials in teachers’ schools. Such high-quality programs do exist. But they are a tiny fraction of the nation’s offerings. One problem, says Hill, is that researchers rarely evaluate carefully either local professional development or its effect on student learning. Most evaluations simply ask participants to self-report. Lacking reliable evaluations, how are teachers and district officials to choose effective programs? Clearly, much more rigorous studies are needed. To make continuing education effective, school districts should encourage teachers to take graduate coursework that is more tightly aligned with their primary teaching assignment. And districts should select professional development programs based on evidence of their effectiveness. Finally, central planners must ensure that items on the menu of offerings closely align with district standards, curriculum materials, and assessments.

Abstract: A literature review was conducted to investigate the adult education and faculty development literature and research to discover what is known about changes or transformation in teaching assumptions and beliefs when faculty prepare to teach online or when they are engaged in online teaching, and to uncover any gaps in research involving these changes. There were four primary themes that resulted from the analysis of the articles: moving from classroom practice to online teaching; changes related to online teaching, framing faculty development within adult education; and faculty development models. Critiques and implications are considered in regard to the possibility of faculty development for online teaching as transformative learning.

Abstract: The difficulties of professional development and learning amongst mathematics teachers are well-documented (Clarke 1994) The problem is particularly acute amongst primary (or elementary) teachers (Bibby 1999) For many primary teachers, their relationship with mathematics is a fraught with anxiety and emotion, much of it relating to their negative experiences of school mathematics (Buxton 1981) These negative experiences parallel the experiences of most school students who regard mathematics as dull, boring and irrelevant (Osborne et al 1997)

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between instructional interaction and student persistence among adult students in online courses. A survey research methodology was used to examine the frequency and the method of instructional interaction in online courses, student attitudes regarding instructional interaction, and the reasons online students provide for persisting in, or withdrawing from, online courses. The results indicate that student perceptions regarding the contribution of asynchronous, discussion forum use combined with frequent use of asynchronous discussion account for 26% of the variance in course persistence rates. Consistent with the literature on adult student dropout, the findings identify additional situational and institutional barriers to persistence among students in online courses. The findings sug gest that strategies to facilitate student persistence in online courses should address online instructional techniques, faculty development, technology development, and program development.

Abstract: New demands and high attrition levels of special education teachers have created a crisis for education and extensive additional stress for special education directors and principals. The critical shortage of highly qualified special education teachers has significantly increased the pressure to hire and retain them. This article discusses factors that affect teacher attrition and proactive recommendations to address the shortage. In addition, the authors make suggestions for systemic reform and improvement of the level of job satisfaction for special education teachers.

Abstract: This paper explores participant perceptions of the impact of a Peer Observation of Teaching scheme offered as part of an accredited Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching for academic staff and faculty members in higher education. The Postgraduate Certificate Program has been designed to support the continuing professional development of academic staff and faculty members through integration of peer learning. Inherent in the design and delivery of the Peer Observation of Teaching scheme is the belief by all involved that learning about teaching in higher education – and heightening a sense of professionalism – stems from a continuous process of transforming and constructing personal meaning in a variety of related ways. This program has its theoretical basis in the Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1983), and the perceived impact of the scheme has been evaluated based on this cycle; participants over the past 5 years on the program have provided valuable insights into the demands of active engagement with abstract pedagogical theory, purposeful critical refection on classroom practice, and a challenging of assumptions through shared reflective dialogues with colleagues. Of particular interest are the ways that the scheme aids the integration of theory and practice, the value of interdisciplinary learning, and the benefits for new teachers.

Abstract: How should district and school leaders improve education for students traditionally underserved by public education: by increasing control over teaching and curriculum, or by empowering groups of teachers to have more collective autonomy, responsibility, and opportunities for professional learning? The second approach — promoting multiple trajectories of learning among groups of teachers—has advantages, as well as some challenges, as a means of closing various achievement gaps. Sociocultural theory informed our research, as it helped us envision how people who work together create opportunities for the adaptation and learning of new practices while increasing the likelihood that individuals internalize new skills and ways of thinking. Through the analysis of a conversation among teachers about Vickie, an English Language Learner, we examine the larger context of a school's reforms. This analysis illustrates both the possibility and desirability of helping teachers engage in multiple and evolving types of ...