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Start date: 2020Subject: search.filters.subject.In-service training

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    Secondary school English language teacher agency in the aftermath of COVID-19 crises : a study from a West Sumatran Region, Indonesia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-11-26) Yuliandri, Yuliandri
    The COVID-19 pandemic saw the prompt shift to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), which was challenging for both learners and educators worldwide. This study explores the experiences of secondary school English language teachers working within a resource-limited setting of Lima Puluh Kota Region, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It focuses not only on the ERT period but also on the re-transition to face-to-face teaching post-pandemic. It seeks to answer two research questions: 1) What adjustments did English language teachers make to their practice during and after the pandemic lockdown period, and how did they perceive and articulate these experiences? 2) How did the teachers exercise their agency, negotiate their professional identities, and manage their emotions in response to these experiences? This study adopts a qualitative dominant mixed-methods design. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis are employed to analyse data which was collected from teachers from July to November 2022 through a survey (n=63), two rounds of interviews (n=10), and classroom observations (n=10). The findings indicated that while the teachers were emotionally affected by the abrupt shift to ERT, which was intensified by Digital Divide issues, they tried to negotiate the availability of resources and use their agency to find ways to continue teaching. Some were able to discover benefits beyond the difficulties as ERT exposed them to digital technologies, a wide range of learning modes, and opportunities to pursue professional development (PD). Throughout and after the pandemic, teachers actively negotiated their professional identities, which contributed to their professional growth and increased reflexivity on their current and future practices. This shifted their perspectives about teaching and learning and the role of technology, which proved useful when they encountered challenges re-transitioning to face-to-face classrooms. This study contributes to the literature by 1) adding evidence of how English language teachers exercised their agency during and after the pandemic and illustrating the temporal and contextual aspects involved in the process, 2) revealing different pathways of professional identity negotiation, and 3) breaking down the interplay between agency, identity, and emotions, and outlining the significant role of emotions in both enactment of agency and professional identity negotiation. In addition to these theoretical contributions, practical implications, which focus on the need for school technology infrastructure in the region, and tailored teacher professional development at both school and MoE levels to foster student teachers’ and experienced teachers’ awareness of the intersection of agency, identity and emotion in the teacher education curriculum and training programmes, are discussed.
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    Transforming early childhood teachers’ professional learning and development : a study of research, provision, and potential : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Clarke, Linda Rose
    Effective professional learning and development (PLD) is recognised as a key mechanism to strengthen teachers’ knowledge and pedagogical practice and improve the quality of education. However, PLD is not always effective for its intended purpose. Effectiveness depends on the match between the PLD approach, the participating teachers, and the desired outcomes. Although it is important to have a range of approaches to PLD, it is also important to be aware that different approaches will serve different purposes. In recent years, coaching has been increasingly evidenced as a PLD approach that supports teachers to develop knowledge and effectively implement new pedagogical practices. Yet, coaching is under-utilised and under-researched in the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education sector. The multiphase study in this thesis with publications investigated PLD in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education settings, with a focus on coaching as a component of the PLD. The research included a further focus on pedagogy to foster toddlers’ social-emotional learning. There were three successive research phases, designed to investigate: 1) early childhood education PLD research literature; 2) the PLD provision that early childhood teachers have received in recent years; and 3) a PLD coaching intervention to support early childhood teachers in their implementation of teaching practices to foster toddlers’ social-emotional learning. The first phase of the investigation was a study of PLD research. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocols were used to guide a systematic literature review of PLD research in the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education field. Fifty-six studies were reviewed with the intention of identifying key characteristics of the research, including how or whether coaching had been studied. The results identified Aotearoa New Zealand ECE PLD research as predominantly qualitative and descriptive, characterised by practitioner-researcher partnerships and models of PLD based on collaborative inquiry or action research. Overall, there was limited attention paid to how PLD interventions were implemented, including the strategies that facilitators used to support teachers’ professional learning. There was limited attention to coaching. Within the studies that reported using coaching as a PLD component, there were multifarious coaching definitions and descriptions. Results of the systematic literature review suggest coaching is under-researched and possibly misunderstood in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education. The first research phase has identified a need for a stronger and more intentional focus on a range of PLD interventions and research, including who is involved, what content is covered, and how interventions are delivered. The second research phase was a study of teachers’ PLD experiences. A nationwide survey was completed by 345 early childhood teachers who answered questions about their recent PLD experiences. A key finding was that isolated workshops predominated as a PLD model. Many teachers also engaged in reflective discussions with PLD facilitators, however, facilitation strategies that are associated with coaching, such as observation and feedback, were not common. Overall, the survey’s findings indicate there is limited emphasis on PLD models that are designed to support teachers in their implementation of new pedagogical practices. The second research phase has identified a need to support teachers’ and leaders’ access to evidence-informed PLD that promotes shifts in teaching practice and fosters positive learning outcomes for children. The third research phase was a study of coaching as a component of PLD. Practice-based coaching protocols were adapted for use in an Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education setting, and a PLD intervention was developed. The PLD intervention combined practice-based coaching with workshops, with the intention of supporting a teaching team’s implementation of teaching practices to foster toddlers’ social-emotional learning. The relationship between the coaching and the implementation of teaching practices was analysed using single-subject multiple-baseline methods. The single-subject experiment demonstrated a functional relation between the PLD intervention and teachers’ implementation of the social-emotional teaching practices. Results suggest that some teaching practices were maintained 9 weeks after the intervention, despite staff changes. The participating teachers were interviewed to seek their perspectives of the PLD and coaching. Teachers reported that coaching with a focus on social-emotional teaching was a positive experience that improved their teaching which, in turn, improved toddlers’ social-emotional skills. The third research phase has foregrounded the potential of coaching to support and strengthen early childhood teaching. This phase has also identified pathways for further research into, and application of, coaching in the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood sector. The findings from this thesis with publications challenge current approaches to PLD, emphasising the need for a more coherent and informed approach. The unique professional learning needs of toddler teachers and the importance of PLD that effectively supports social-emotional teaching are highlighted throughout the thesis. Coaching is affirmed as a PLD approach to promote shifts in teaching, enabling teachers to implement new pedagogical practices. Numerous recommendations are made for further PLD research, provision, and potential for maximising positive outcomes. These recommendations include the development of a shared PLD definition and conceptual framework to support rigorous PLD research and application in Aotearoa New Zealand, and to support teachers and leaders to select and engage in PLD experiences that meet their needs. There is an identified need for further research that investigates how, why, and under what conditions PLD works. The thesis advocates for greater attention to evidence-informed and coaching-driven PLD. The research and recommendations within this thesis have been developed to advance and strengthen PLD systems and programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education.
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    Enhancing teacher development through teacher appraisal : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Simon, Marianne
    Teacher appraisal in New Zealand appears to be skewed too far towards the accountability end of the continuum and too little towards the development end. However, there is a lack of research that examines how appraisal systems can be used to not only address accountability but also focus on meeting the teacher development requirements. Therefore, this study aims to examine how New Zealand schools enhance teacher development and integrate the accountability and development requirements of teacher appraisal. The study adopted a qualitative case study approach and data were collected from two primary schools in New Zealand through semi-structured in-depth interviews, participant observations and document analysis. Thematic analysis of the interviews, observations, and document analysis resulted in a holistic understanding of how the two schools established appraisal systems and processes that were developmentally focused and integrated the accountability and development requirements. Through the thematic analysis, the study identified factors that supported and enhanced the integration and developmental focus of the appraisal systems. The study found that a love for learning underpinned the school culture, leadership approach, and school systems, enabling the developmental focus and integration. There were three main leadership styles identified in the study to support and enhance the love for learning culture: transformational, pedagogical, and distributive leadership. The leadership team were eager to support teachers to improve and grow pedagogically, and the leaders provided meaningful experiences that influenced the mindset and focus of teacher development. There was active learning through reflection, self-assessment, feedback, dialogue, and questioning. The schools also used collaborative practices that influenced the integration of the accountability and development aspects of teacher appraisal. The mentors played a crucial role in introducing the love for learning culture of the school to the beginner teachers by being role models, and regularly encouraging and extending mentee’s practice. The teaching portfolio, which was a collection of reflections and evidence, was effective in supporting teacher learning because it was instrumental in the teachers’ continual reflection, self-assessment, and updating of their portfolio. Each of the elements discussed in the portfolio contributed to the developmental focus and integration of the accountability and development aspects.
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    An investigation of two models of professional development to support effective teaching through play practices in the primary classroom : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Aiono, Sarah Miriam
    The use of play as a pedagogical tool in schools and early learning settings is experiencing a rise in popularity. In recent years, primary teachers have shown an increased interest in how play can be implemented in junior primary school classrooms but have also expressed a need for further support to understand how to use play and intentional teaching to meet expected learning outcomes of the curriculum. While teachers have expressed support for, and knowledge of, the benefits of learning through play, the way in which they teach through play is less well understood. The aim of this study was to identify teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and practices when implementing teaching through play in the primary school setting and investigate the impact of a professional learning and development (PLD) intervention on teachers’ subsequent implementation of play pedagogies. The study utilised a mixed methods intervention research design. Participants were assigned to one of two PLD conditions: 1) professional learning workshops only; or 2) professional learning workshops in combination with practice-based coaching. The study utilised both quantitative and qualitative data collection strategies, including questionnaires, classroom observations, and individual interviews. The creation of a Play-Based Learning Observation Tool (P-BLOT) enabled the researcher to observe and quantify the frequency and implementation fidelity of evidence-based teaching practices, desirable in an effective play-based junior school classroom. Pre-intervention findings suggested a tension between what teachers know and believe about play as a pedagogical tool, and how they implemented teaching through play practices with fidelity in their classrooms. Post-intervention findings suggest that while participating in workshop-style PLD successfully increased teachers’ knowledge about play pedagogies, it was participating in PLD that included practice-based coaching that positively influenced teacher behaviour and practices. These findings contribute to the growing international PLD literature identifying the value of more intensive PLD support over an extended period to ensure implementation fidelity of the complex teaching practices required of play pedagogy. PLD that combines workshop and coaching interventions can potentially support teachers to effectively implement play pedagogies and ensure the implementation of intentional teaching methods through both child and adult-guided play experiences.