Contemporary professional music performance and teaching practices demand the ability to engage in a variety of collaborative settings with a broad range of competencies and skills. According to... Show moreContemporary professional music performance and teaching practices demand the ability to engage in a variety of collaborative settings with a broad range of competencies and skills. According to various studies, offering a wider variety of pedagogical approaches and implementing collaborative learning activities in conservatoire education would be beneficial for students' preparation for their prospective careers. However, collaborative learning has not yet been broadly and widely implemented in conservatories around the world. The aim of this research project was to increase understanding of which collaborative learning approaches already exist, and how implementation of collaborative learning could be supported. Four studies were conducted, including students, teachers, and leaders as stakeholders. Collaborative learning was found to support experiences and feelings of trust, safeness, friendship, and reinforced the development of collaborative and metacognitive skills. Also, learning activities and content of lessons appeared to be suitable for implementation of collaborative learning. A purposeful design of lessons is necessary, including a change to a student-centred learning environment. Yet, aspects of culture and tradition sustaining teacher-centred approaches, were found to hinder the process of implementing collaborative learning. Better connections to professional practice and society require a paradigm shift in teaching and learning in conservatoire education. Show less
Despite the value of technology integration for educational equity and quality being emphasized by numerous studies, many gaps exist about how technology integration can be approached in policy... Show moreDespite the value of technology integration for educational equity and quality being emphasized by numerous studies, many gaps exist about how technology integration can be approached in policy plans, implemented in pedagogical practices, and embraced by teachers, students, and parents. In the current dissertation, the focus is on teachers’ pedagogical practices with technology in primary and secondary education, contributing to a more detailed understanding of what happens to integrate technology into the teaching and learning processes. Given this goal, we examined the different teaching and technology practices considering the concerted efforts of various stakeholders at different levels and contexts. Five studies were performed on: (1) an overview of the link between local information and communications technology (ICT) policy plans and the ICT practices of rural schools; (2) rural teachers’ use of digital educational resources aimed at promoting digital equity and education for all; (3) rural teachers’ sharing of digital educational resources aimed at promoting teacher professional learning opportunities and development; (4) (a meta-analysis on) the effectiveness of various mobile technology usage on learning outcomes in primary and secondary education; (5) the relationships among teacher beliefs, classroom process quality, and student engagement in smart classroom learning environments in secondary education. Show less
Teachers’ motivation to participate in professional learning is a significant factor in explaining the effectiveness of continuous professional development programmes. The present study... Show moreTeachers’ motivation to participate in professional learning is a significant factor in explaining the effectiveness of continuous professional development programmes. The present study investigated how factors at teachers’ personal and school levels are related to their motivation to participate in professional learning activities. A questionnaire was completed by 472 Chinese teachers. Multivariate analysis revealed that several factors at the teacher level (teachers’ prior experience with learning activities, teaching experience, self-efficacy and conceptions of learning) and the school level (work and emotional pressure, colleague support and principal leadership) were related to their motivation to participate in professional learning. These findings are discussed in the context of the professional development of Chinese teachers. Implications are generated for teacher education and continuous professional development. Show less
The SpeakTeach method, Towards self-regulated learning of speaking skills in foreign languages in secondary schools: an adaptive and practical approach De SpeakTeach didactiek, Naar zelfregulerend... Show moreThe SpeakTeach method, Towards self-regulated learning of speaking skills in foreign languages in secondary schools: an adaptive and practical approach De SpeakTeach didactiek, Naar zelfregulerend leren bij spreek- en gespreksvaardigheid in moderne vreemde talen in het voortgezet onderwijs: een adaptieve en praktische aanpak Show less
Research indicates that knowledge sharing promotes teacher professional learning opportunities and development. However, it is yet to be known what motivates teachers in rural schools in sharing... Show moreResearch indicates that knowledge sharing promotes teacher professional learning opportunities and development. However, it is yet to be known what motivates teachers in rural schools in sharing their knowledge as they may face more challenges than teachers in urban areas when sharing. This study examined factors explaining rural teachers' sharing behavior regarding digital educational resources, both within and outside school, as posited by combining motivation theory and the integrative model of behavior prediction. Self-reported questionnaires from 709 rural teachers were collected and analyzed employing the Structural Equation Modeling. Different motivational factors were found to be related to sharing behavior within school and outside school. More specifically, internal motivation was positively and external motivation was negatively related to sharing behavior in both contexts. Moreover, sharing intention and sharing climate significantly explained teachers' sharing behavior, but only outside school. A mediation analysis using a bias-corrected bootstrapping method revealed that the effect of internal motivation on sharing intention within school was mediated through self-efficacy and attitudes whereas the effect of external motivation on sharing intention outside school was only mediated by attitudes. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how to support teachers’ sharing behavior in different contexts. Show less
In order to support professional development of their teachers 14 Dutch secondary schools developed and implemented a series of interventions. The concept of School as Professional Learning... Show moreIn order to support professional development of their teachers 14 Dutch secondary schools developed and implemented a series of interventions. The concept of School as Professional Learning Community was used to frame these school interventions. Data were collected through project documents, interviews with school principals and project leaders, group interviews with teachers and focus groups with project leaders. Interventions can be grouped into five clusters: 1) Shared school vision on learning; 2) Professional learning opportunities for all staff; 3) Collaborative work and learning; 4) Change of school organisation, and 5) Learning leadership. Interventions aimed at teacher-leaders, team leaders and school principals were relatively rare. Interventions belonging to the clusters Professional learning opportunities and Collaborative work and learning were the ones most frequently mentioned including formal and informal teacher groups working and learning together. In general, we conclude that the more embedded an intervention was in the organisation and culture of a school, the more sustainable it appeared to be. Show less
The studies reported in this thesis were situated in the context of an innovation of Dutch secondary school biology curricula. As in any innovation, the practical knowledge of teachers determine... Show moreThe studies reported in this thesis were situated in the context of an innovation of Dutch secondary school biology curricula. As in any innovation, the practical knowledge of teachers determine the outcomes through the decisions they make while planning and teaching their lessons. The aim of the studies was to clarify the relation between teacher knowledge and the decisions they make while designing innovative lessons, in order to be able to effectively support teacher professional development. The results show that the design decisions teachers make when planning their lessons are guided by personal rules-of-thumb, which are strongly associated with desired lesson outcomes, such as having fun, having students understand the relevance of biological concepts, or triggering preconceptions. Such rules-of-thumb and desired outcomes can be represented in the form of a so-called goal system. Especially the core goals in such a system predict the way a teacher will interpret and implement an innovation. The studies further show that innovative lesson design can be effectively supported by a combination of model lessons and heuristics. More extensive design models, on the other hand, seem to be less effective, because such models fail to align with teachers’ preferred design routines. Show less
Verberg, C.P.M.; Tigelaar, D.E.H.; Verloop, N. 2015
Opportunities for negotiation in formative assessment may benefit teachers' professional development. Detailed analysis of nine assessment dialogues involving pairs of nursing teachers in secondary... Show moreOpportunities for negotiation in formative assessment may benefit teachers' professional development. Detailed analysis of nine assessment dialogues involving pairs of nursing teachers in secondary vocational education showed that the amount of negotiation was limited. Assessment dialogues provided ample opportunities for negotiation (based on expressed disagreement), but more than half of these opportunities were neglected and hence not used to negotiate learning implications. Participants found it difficult to confront a colleague. Possible reasons for this, also methodological, are discussed with a view to future training, formative assessment and research. Show less
The literature indicates that teacher professional development and learning may be improved by using formative assessment procedures. This thesis focuses on a specific form of formative assessment,... Show moreThe literature indicates that teacher professional development and learning may be improved by using formative assessment procedures. This thesis focuses on a specific form of formative assessment, negotiated assessment, which is characterised by the exchange of views between assessor and assessee and the extensive involvement of the participants (assessees) in their own assessment procedure. The participants negotiate with their assessor about several aspects of the negotiated assessment procedure. Assumptions in negotiated teacher assessment are that the opportunities for negotiation might promote the development of a sense of agency in terms of teachers feeling in control of their learning and assessment processes and feeling able to pursue their learning objectives. This thesis covers four studies in which different aspects of negotiated assessment were examined. Its aim was to gain more knowledge about a negotiated assessment procedure to promote teacher learning in the area of stimulating students__ reflections. The results show that very little negotiation took place during the dialogues. Despite the lack of negotiation during the assessment meetings, the teachers reported a strong sense of agency. Overall, the teachers__ opinions indicated that the elements of the negotiated assessment procedure facilitated their professional learning. The contribution was particularly seen in change in their knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and practice. Teacher professional development; Teacher learning; Formative assessment; Negotiated assessment; Negotiation; Feedback; Agency; Reflection Show less
In this study we aimed to examine teacher learning within a context of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. Five interdisciplinary teams were studied for a period of one year. Data was... Show moreIn this study we aimed to examine teacher learning within a context of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. Five interdisciplinary teams were studied for a period of one year. Data was collected on what and how the teachers learned, by means of examining changes in beliefs and by asking teachers to map learning activities they had been engaged in. Also, we studied how collaboration in interdisciplinary teams could characterized. Four general conclusions were drawn: - We found that teachers, who participated in an interdisciplinary team for a period of one year, and often reported learning experiences in which they learned a result of listening to or observing teaching methods of colleagues, changed their beliefs about teaching and learning. - Individual teacher learning in a context of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams occurred in sequences of learning activities, rather than in single learning activities. - Teachers often reported to learn as a result of acquaintance with ideas and experiences of colleagues with particular teaching methods by just listening or observing instead of collectively solving problems. - Exchanging ideas and experiences with experimentation aimed at shared problem solving, which points to a high level of interdependency, appeared to relate positively with teacher learning. Show less
