Socioeconomic differences in the long-term effects of teacher absence on student outcomes.

School teachers' sickness absence has been shown to affect student achievement in the short run. However, we know little about whether socioeconomic backgrounds may compensate for reductions in instructional quality and to what extent teacher absence effects persist over time. This paper examines the socioeconomic differences in the short- and long-term effects of teacher absence. We use population-wide Norwegian register data to study the effects of certified teacher absence during lower secondary school (grades 8-10) on non-completion of upper secondary education by age 21 (i.e. school dropout) as well as academic achievement in 10th grade. In a school fixed effects model, we find that an increase in teacher absence of 5 percentage points reduces students' examination grades by 2.3% of a standard deviation and increases the dropout probability by 0.6 percentage points. However, the teacher absence effects vary considerably by family background, with large effects for low-SES students driving the overall effects. Overall, our findings indicate that reductions in instructional quality increase social inequality in long-term educational outcomes. This result highlights that studying heterogeneous impacts of contextual exposures is needed to understand the role of schools in shaping inequality.

The efficacy of the TEACH e-Learning course at improving early childhood educators' physical activity and sedentary behaviour self-efficacy, knowledge, intentions, and perceived behavioural control: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood educators play a critical role in promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary time in childcare centres. However, early childhood educators receive limited specialised pre- and in-service learning opportunities relating to these behaviours and may lack the capacity to effectively engage children in healthy movement behaviours. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of an e-Learning course on increasing early childhood educators' physical activity and sedentary behaviour-related capacities. METHODS: A two-group parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted with early childhood educators in Canada (Mage = 41.78, 97% female). Participants randomized to the intervention group were asked to complete a physical activity and sedentary behaviour e-Learning course within a 4-week period. Participants randomized to the waitlist control condition were assigned to a waitlist to receive the intervention after the testing period. Participants reported on their self-efficacy, knowledge, intentions, and perceived behavioural control relating to physical activity and sedentary behaviours at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 months follow-up. Linear mixed effects models were estimated to determine difference in changes in outcomes from baseline to post-intervention, and follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 209 early childhood educators participated in the study (intervention n = 98; control n = 111). The TEACH e-Learning course was found to be efficacious at improving all of the examined outcomes, with standardized effect sizes ranging from d = 0.58 to d = 0.65 for self-efficacy outcomes, d = 0.66 to d = 1.20 for knowledge outcomes, d = 0.50 to d = 0.65 for intention outcomes, and d = 0.33 to d = 0.69 for perceived behavioural control outcomes post-intervention. The intervention effects were sustained at follow-up for all outcomes apart from perceived behavioural control to limit screen time. Additionally, the magnitude of the effect for knowledge outcomes decreased at follow-up, with standardized effect sizes ranging from d = 0.49 to d = 0.67. CONCLUSIONS: The e-Learning course was highly successful at improving early childhood educators' capacity pertaining to physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Providing training content through e-Learning may be an efficacious approach to providing continual professional learning opportunities relating to physical activity and sedentary time to early childhood educators on a large scale.

Evaluating teacher competencies in Pakistan's public schools: Enhancing the impact of professional development programs.

Professional Development (PD) programs in Pakistan typically follow a standardized approach, often overlooking the diverse strengths and weaknesses of various teacher groups, which may not adequately address their specific needs. This study aims to evaluate teacher competencies among different groups from the perspective of school principals in Pakistan's public schools, with the goal of enhancing the effectiveness of PD programs. Initially, the study identifies three key themes of 21st-century teacher competencies through an extensive review of recent literature. An interview guide, based on these competencies, was used to gather data from seven public school principals via structured interviews. The data were analyzed using a deductive content analysis approach, with MAXQDA software employed for theme coding. The findings revealed notable differences in teacher competencies from the principals' perspectives. Female and younger teachers exhibited more competencies compared to their male and senior counterparts. These insights provide crucial information for planning and customizing Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programs, emphasizing an objective evaluation of teachers rather than self-assessment. Tailored PD programs based on these findings can more effectively enhance teachers' professional growth and competence."

Can Guided Discovery Instruction Be Detrimental to Children with Different Levels of Aquatic Competence in Infancy?

Repetitive practice can become an exploratory activity where instruction and discovery are linked, allowing instruction and guidance through tasks that help to construct and acquire the knowledge and skills that make up the content. (1) Background: The aim of the study was to show how a teaching method based on guided discovery would affect the teaching of children's aquatic competence in schoolchildren with different levels of competence. (2) Methods: An observational study was conducted with 385 schoolchildren (195 boys and 189 girls) aged 3-5 years belonging to a charter kindergarten, using an Instrument for the Measurement of Aquatic Competence in Children (SMACC) consisting of 17 items grouped into three dimensions: socio-affective, cognitive, and motor. (3) Results: After measuring aquatic competence, all age groups and all variables (motor, cognitive, and socio-affective) showed differences between pre- and post-scores and a high magnitude of effect size. When the teaching intervention was analyzed according to the level of aquatic competence of the age group, improvements were found in all variables in both the low and high-competence groups. (4) Conclusions: This study describes how guided discovery instruction has equal effects at different levels of proficiency. Furthermore, when this type of instruction was used, aquatic competence was explained not only by the motor and socio-affective dimensions but also by the cognitive variable.

Analysis of Teacher Self-Efficacy and Its Impact on Sustainable Well-Being at Work.

This study evaluates teacher self-efficacy perceptions among students in the Master's Degree in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training, and Language Teaching (MDSE), as well as the variables influencing these perceptions and their connection to the program's training. The research sheds light on how self-efficacy affects views on concerns, feelings, and attitudes towards diversity and inclusive education in the current educational landscape. Out of 205 female and 100 male MDSE students surveyed, who are either graduates or nearing completion, data were gathered using the "Teacher Education in Secondary Education: Key Elements for Teaching in an Inclusive School for All" (FORPES-IN) questionnaire distributed across Spanish universities. Three primary instruments from the questionnaire were utilized: the Teachers' Self-Efficacy Short Form (TSES-SF), the Questionnaire for Future Secondary Education Teachers regarding Perceptions of Diversity, and the Revised Scale of Feelings, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education (SACIE-R). Findings suggest that the majority of prospective teachers exhibit moderate-to-high levels of self-efficacy. Variables such as non-formal teaching experiences, the reason for joining the MDSE program, and regular interactions with vulnerable individuals, especially in Social and Health Science domains, moderately influence self-efficacy. This study reveals a strong link between the received training and the perceived level of self-efficacy. In particular, participants with higher self-efficacy feel better equipped to handle classroom diversity and rate the MDSE program positively. Areas for enhancement are identified, such as classroom management and diversified assessment strategies. Finally, a positive correlation is observed between high self-efficacy and positive attitudes toward disability, inclusive education principles, and reduced apprehensions about inclusive teaching.

Chinese Rural Kindergarten Teachers' Work-Family Conflict and Their Turnover Intention: The Role of Emotional Exhaustion and Professional Identity.

The loss of rural kindergarten teachers has become a common social concern in China, which is of great importance to the development of preschool education. This study conducted a survey of 2944 kindergarten teachers in mainland China, to explore the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention, the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion, and the moderating effect of professional identity. The study used the work-family conflict questionnaire, the emotional exhaustion scale, the turnover intention questionnaire, and the professional identity questionnaire. The results showed that (1) work-family conflict significantly predicted turnover intention; (2) emotional exhaustion played a mediating role between work-family conflict and turnover intention; and (3) professional identity moderated the latter half path of the mediation model, that is, strong professional identity alleviated the indirect predicting effect of work-family conflict on turnover intention through emotional exhaustion. The results clarified the influencing mechanism of work-family conflict on turnover intention, which could help improve rural preschool teachers' positive emotions and reducing turnover.

Aristotelian Practical Wisdom (Phronesis) as the Key to Professional Ethics in Teaching.

This article is about a virtue ethical approach to the professional ethics of teaching, centred around the ideal of phronesis (practical wisdom) in an Aristotelian sense. It is grounded empirically in extensive research conducted at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues into teachers and other UK professionals, and it is grounded theoretically in recent efforts to revive an Aristotelian concept of phronesis as excellence in ethical decision-making. The article argues for the need for a virtue-based approach to professional practice, based on time-honoured Aristotelian assumptions and culminating in a conceptually viable construct of phronesis as a psycho-moral integrator and adjudicator. After setting some of the historical background in Sect. 1, Sect. 2 charts the most relevant empirical findings. Section 3 introduces a call for phronesis as a guide to virtue-based professional ethics: its role, nature, and methods of instruction. Section 4 adds some caveats and concerns about if and how phronesis can be cultivated as part of teacher training. Finally, Sect. 5 offers some concluding remarks about the novelty and radicality of the approach on offer in this article.

"I will resume my research work when things settle down": A narrative inquiry of an EFL academic's emotions and identities in research experiences.

Despite a surge of studies on the construction of researcher identities among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, insufficient attention has been paid to their ongoing identity development after establishing a researcher identity. Using narrative inquiry, this study investigated how an EFL academic transitioned from being a rising star in research to becoming a teaching-focused academic midcareer with emotional flux in situated socio-institutional contexts. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, narrative frame, institutional documents, and the participant's academic profile. The data analysis revealed that while the participant started her research journey as a confident novice researcher, she faced negative emotions arising from encounters with potential bias in academia, institutional managerial practices, and diminished self-agency with waned research motivation. Such negative emotions gradually escalated, posing severe impediments to her researcher identity. Eventually, these impediments resulted in her research stagnation and subsequent transformation of her identity into that of a teaching-focused EFL academic midcareer. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in the continuous development of EFL academics' researcher identities in the changing landscape of higher education. The study also provides implications for supporting EFL teachers in constructing and maintaining a robust researcher identity to facilitate their ongoing professional development.

Knowing what they know: Preschool teachers' knowledge of math skills and its relation to instruction.

Math experiences during the preschool years play an important role in children's later math learning. Preschool teachers exhibit considerable variability in the amount and types of mathematics activities they engage in with their students; one potentially important source of these individual differences is adults' knowledge of early math development. The current study aimed to describe preschool teachers' knowledge of numeracy, patterning, and spatial/geometric skills developed in preschool and its relation to their reported mathematics instruction. Participants (N = 83) completed a survey in which they judged whether particular early math skills could be observed in typically developing 4-year-olds in the United States and reported their frequency of engaging in different math instructional activities. Pre- and in-service preschool teachers' knowledge varied across the different domains (i.e., numeracy, patterning, and spatial/geometric) of mathematical thinking, but their reported frequency of instruction did not. Teachers who were found to be more accurate in their knowledge of early math development were more likely to report higher frequency of math instruction; looking specifically at the domains, the strength of association between knowledge and instruction was the strongest for numeracy. Such findings highlight the possibility that supporting preschool teachers' knowledge of the range of math skills their students can be developing may be one component of improving early math teaching and learning.

Metacognitive analysis of the practicum subject of the Master's in Secondary Teaching through a reflexive portfolio.

This study delves into the efficacy of the reflective portfolio in the metacognitive domain within the context of the Master's in Secondary Teaching. It places particular emphasis on the impact of prior academic training in different specialties (scientific vs. humanities) on metacognitive skills development. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing portfolios from various academic specialties, developed in practicum subject, to ascertain differences in metacognitive competencies of teaching competencies. The main findings reveal that while students generally demonstrate a basic level of success in describing learning situations, there is a notable deficiency in deeper analytical skills and self-improvement strategies, especially among science students compared to their humanities counterparts. This suggests that initial training and educational background significantly influence the development of these competencies. The study concludes that there is a pressing need for more focused and robust training in metacognitive skills across different educational disciplines. Furthermore, it highlights the necessity for educational strategies that effectively address these variations, aligning teaching and learning processes with the principles of quality and sustainable education as envisioned in Agenda 2030. The insights gained are crucial for the development of more effective and comprehensive teacher education programs.

Implementing a Picture Prompt and Proximity Intervention in a Classroom with an Adult Learner: A Case Study.

The current case study investigated the use of a picture prompt and teacher proximity with an adult learner with significant disabilities during a postsecondary classroom management class and generalization setting. Results indicated that the learner had a higher percentage of intervals of on-task behavior during intervention than baseline. Teacher and learner satisfaction ratings suggested that the intervention was an acceptable strategy. A discussion of study limitations, implications, and future research directions are included. • A simple low tech instructional strategy can improve student on-task behavior. • Teachers can use an antecedent strategy to improve student behavior. • Strategies used in K-12 environments may work in higher education settings. • Successful applied behavior analysis strategies help include students in group participation.

Effect of teacher-student relationship on academic engagement: the mediating roles of perceived social support and academic pressure.

Although previous research has established that a strong teacher-student relationship can enhance students' academic engagement, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain less explored. Therefore, this study examined the mediating roles of perceived social support and academic pressure in the association between teacher-student relationship and academic engagement. A survey involving 1,058 Chinese university students was conducted, with teacher-student relationship, perceived social support, academic pressure, and academic engagement being the evaluated factors. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that (a) teacher-student relationship directly and positively associated academic engagement, (b) teacher-student relationship indirectly and positively associated academic engagement through perceived social support, and (c) teacher-student relationship indirectly and positively associated academic engagement through both perceived social support and academic pressure. These results indicate that perceived social support and academic pressure are the primary factors mediating the effect of teacher-student relationship on academic engagement among university students.

Teacher-assigned grades and external exams: sources of discrepancy.

Modest correlations between teacher-assigned grades and external assessments of academic achievement (r = .40-.60) have led many educational stakeholders to deem grades subjective and unreliable. However, theoretical and methodological challenges, such as construct misalignment, data unavailability and sample unrepresentativeness, limit the generalisability of previous findings. We overcome these challenges by exploiting rich, population-wide data from the National Registries in Norway (n = 511,858), where state regulations require close construct alignment between grades and external exams. Correlations between lower-secondary education final grades and external exam results (r = .64-.86) suggest that grades are better measures of academic achievement than previously acknowledged. Dominance analyses and multivariate regression analyses indicate that external exam results are the best predictor of grades in the same subject. However, our results also indicate that state regulations and quality assurance systems cannot completely eradicate potential sources of discrepancy.

High School Teacher Bullying and Student Risk Behavior.

PURPOSE: Although the harmful outcomes of peer bullying are well-established, the effects of bullying by teachers are less understood. Teacher bullying occurs when a teacher uses their authority to punish or disparage a student beyond appropriate discipline. METHODS: This study investigated the prevalence of teacher bullying and its relationship with student risk-taking behaviors in a sample of 106,865 high school students who completed a statewide school climate survey. Students were classified into four groups: no bullying (91%), only peer bullying (4%), only teacher bullying (4%), and both peer and teacher bullying (2%). RESULTS: Logistic regression results indicated that all victimization groups were more likely to participate in risk behaviors (substance use, weapon carrying, fighting, suicidal ideation, and attempts) than nonbullied peers, and students bullied by both peers and teachers were at greatest jeopardy of participation. DISCUSSION: These results support greater attention to teacher bullying in antibullying efforts.

The effectiveness of faculty development programs for training university professors in the health area: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The growing discussion on teacher development focuses on diversified educational skills that promote knowledge and innovation in the teaching, learning and assessment process. With the Covid-19 scenario, this picture of necessary changes has become more evident, demonstrating the need for professional preparation to work in teacher development. The aim of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of teacher development programs for the training of university teachers in the health area, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and involved searching five databases - PubMed-Medline, Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), SCOPUS, Embase and Web of Science. The review included randomized clinical trials and cohort studies that addressed the effectiveness of teaching professionalization in the health area for university professors. The quality of the selected studies was assessed based on the evaluation criteria of the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. The random effects meta-analysis method was used to explain the distribution of effects between the studies, using Stata® software (version 11.0) and publication bias was examined by visual inspection of the graphs and Egger's test. RESULTS: We included 12 studies in the systematic review and 8 in the meta-analysis. These studies were published between 1984 and 2022 in 14 countries. Significant changes were reported in teachers' behavior to stimulate and encourage students, improvement in the quality of teaching and teaching staff, as well as improvement in skills such as leadership and self-evaluation. Furthermore, the result of the meta-analysis showed that there is evidence of the effectiveness of the positive effects of teacher development programs after their implementation, with this effect being 1.70% and an increase of 4.75 in the effect of these teacher development programs. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that development programs have been implemented in different countries and contexts, all of which have proven to be effective in the short, medium and long term. We recommend that future research focus specifically on the different competencies that have been acquired following the implementation of these programs.

Relationship between childhood trauma and non-suicidal self-injury in high school students: the mediating role of the stress perception and the moderating role of teacher-student relationship.

This study delves into the correlation between childhood trauma and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors among high school students. Additionally, it examines the mediating role of stress perception and the moderating role of the teacher-student relationship in this association. A questionnaire survey was administered to 1,329 high school students in Yunnan Province to assess childhood trauma, NSSI behaviors, and stress perception. Firstly, the survey revealed a 12% prevalence of NSSI, with girls exhibiting a higher occurrence compared to boys (OR = 0.413, 95% CI: 0.280-0.609). Secondly, childhood trauma emerged as a significant predictor of NSSI behavior, irrespective of gender or whether the individual was an only child (r = 0.17, P < 0.01). Thirdly, stress perception functioned as a mediator in the relationship between childhood trauma and NSSI among high school students (t = 4.65, P < 0.01). The mediation effect occupies 26.56% of the total effect. Furthermore, the teacher-student relationship moderated the mediating effect of stress perception on the link between childhood trauma and NSSI (ß = 0.0736, P < 0.01). Notably, individuals with strong teacher-student relationships exhibited a significant elevation in stress perception upon exposure to childhood trauma. The findings of this study support a moderated mediation model in the association between childhood trauma and NSSI, suggesting profound implications for the development of targeted interventions and prevention strategies among high school students.

Special education teachers' perspectives of effective pre-service training practices in systematic instruction for students with extensive support needs.

This survey study examined 164 in-service special education teachers' perceptions of training strategies in their cross categorical teacher preparation program in the United Sates for developing knowledge and skills in systematic instruction, an evidence-based practice for students with extensive support needs. Both classroom-based and field-based training strategies were evaluated along with teachers' perceptions of the contribution and importance of the various training strategies. Results from Chi-square tests, Pearson correlations, multivariate analysis of covariance, and repeated measures of analysis of covariance indicated that teachers felt prepared to implement systematic instruction after exiting their program and after teaching students with disabilities, and the perceived effectiveness of training strategies was related to teacher experience. Teachers perceived modeling and receiving performance feedback in both university classrooms and field-based settings to contribute to their knowledge and skill development in systematic instruction. We present the results in terms of implications for practice and future research.

Opinions of special education teachers on inappropriate sexual behaviors in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

Inappropriate sexual behaviors may be observed in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), especially during adolescence. There are several undesired consequences of exhibiting such behaviors in public spaces, such as schools. The competencies and attitudes of special education teachers, who are responsible for the education of individuals with ID, are of significant influence. This study was conducted to investigate the views of special education teachers working with adolescents with ID on inappropriate sexual behaviors exhibited in educational settings. Accordingly, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 special education teachers. The phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods, and thematic analysis were used in this study. Five themes were identified after the analysis of the findings of the study, namely, common behaviors, teacher attitudes, teacher competencies, teacher interventions, and educational content. The findings were discussed on the basis of the relevant studies in the literature and a number of conclusions were reached. Accordingly, the inappropriate sexual behaviors that special education teachers encounter the most frequently are masturbation, undressing, and touching, and when these behaviors are exhibited aggressively, teachers have difficulty in intervening. Participants regard themselves to be incompetent in terms of sexual education and consider relevant educational content inadequate.

Perception of students and teachers regarding the attributes of an effective clinical teacher in dentistry: A cross-sectional analytical study.

Objective: To compare the perception of dental students and faculty members regarding the attributes of effective clinical teachers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, from August 2021 to November 2021, and comprised of third and final year dental students and associated clinical faculty members from three dental colleges in the city. Data was collected using the modified version of a pre-validated questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS 25. RESULTS: Of the 200 students approached, 169(84.5%) responded; 135(79.9%) females and 34(20.1%) males with mean age 21.78±1.099 years (range: 19-26 years). Of the 59 teachers approached, 49(83%) responded; 33(67.3%) females and 16(32.7%) males with mean age 31.59±5.041 years (range: 23-49 years). The students found record-keeping a tiresome task 69(42%), while teachers regarded it essential for clinical development. Unlike teachers, the students were unable to identify the relevance of clinical objectives and they also did not appreciate teachers' involvement in clinical procedures. For other domains regarding personal traits, teaching methods and clinical skills, both groups had similar responses. Conclusion: There was generally a similarity of opinions among students and teachers regarding the essential qualities of effective dental clinical teaching.

Physical Education Teachers' Health Literacy: First Evidence from Lithuania.

BACKGROUND: Promotion of health literacy is an important goal in the context of promoting whole school health. Physical education teachers are of particular importance in achieving this goal. However, very limited empirical studies have addressed the health literacy of physical education teachers. This research aimed to test the structural validity and reliability of the HLS19-Q12, to measure health literacy among physical education teachers, and to evaluate associations of health literacy with health- and lifestyle-related indicators. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of Lithuanian physical education teachers. The participants completed a self-administered online survey that collected information on socio-demographics and health literacy (HLS19-Q12 for general health literacy and the optional package HLS19-DIGI to measure digital health literacy) as well as health behavior. RESULTS: A total of 332 participants completed the survey. The HLS19-Q12 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α of 0.73 and McDonald's ω of 0.75) and satisfactory structural validity (CFI = 0.924, TLI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.081). Participants had an average score of 85.09 (SD = 17.23) when using the HLS19-Q12, with 19.3% and 48.8% displaying excellent and sufficient levels of health literacy, respectively. Regression analyses revealed that a higher level of health literacy was significantly associated with better health evaluation (ß = 0.15, p < 0.01), but no significant association was found with other health behavior and lifestyle indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results suggest that teachers' general health literacy is relatively high. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting more in-depth studies to pursue the understanding of the whole school teachers' health literacy.