Designing Open and Distance Learning for Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A toolkit for educators and planners

Everyone remembers a good teacher. Good teachers are the key to educational expansion and improvement. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is an urgent need to expand the number of primary and secondary teachers. In all African countries, there is an equally important need to improve the quality of teaching. To achieve this, it is clear that new approaches to teacher education are essential. Existing institutions of teacher education will continue to play an important role, but, alone, they will not meet the goals of Education for All (EFA) by 2015. It is fortunate that, just as the twin needs to improve the quantity and quality of teachers become imperative, so new forms of education and training are becoming available. The world is witnessing a revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs), which can offer training and support of a type and at a cost hitherto impossible to consider, and thus, must be fully explored given the scale and urgency of demand. In doing so, however, it will be necessary to build on existing and well-tested strategies, including the best models of open and distance learning. This toolkit is the third in a series of recent publications by the Africa Region Human Development Department of the World Bank to share knowledge and experience on how distance education and ICTs can support education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes the rigorous process by which new forms of distance-education programs for teacher education can be planned and implemented. The best models of established programs are considered along with the potential for incorporating, as the means become available, new modes of communication. Most forms of teacher education, particularly those concerned with qualification upgrading and ongoing professional development, will have to be based in schools. The authors demonstrate how school-based programs, appropriately resourced and supported, have the potential not only to raise significantly the number and quality of teachers, but also to improve classroom practice and school organization, generally. The guidance and advice, which is drawn from many years of experience in design and implementation, and embraces a range of case studies from across the region, will be of considerable value to those preparing new policies and programs of teacher education and to those seeking to improve existing programs

INVESTIGATING CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACED BY POLYTECHNICS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Mustapha (2001) advocated that Malaysia is short of skilled workers to meet the demands of economic growth (as cited in Jailani, Rashid, Wahid & Noraini; 2009). Thus, there is a need for vocational and technical education, particularly at post-secondary technician levels (Jailani et. al.; 2009) to meet the shortage. Despite the need, there are many challenges faced by polytechnics. This study intends to investigate the critical challenges faced by polytechnics in the Northern and Central Region of Malaysia on case study basis and to put forth recommendations for practical implementations. Based on the literature review, the tentative key critical challenges has been identified which are the employability of polytechnic graduates, collaboration of industry with practical knowledge, competent academic staff, adequate infrastructure/funding and resources, reputation and perception of institution, design and development of curriculum. Researchers used the concurrent embedded strategy in mixed research approach, where directors and/or deputy directors and/or head or department have been interviewed while academic staffs are surveyed using convenience sampling method. Questionnaires are distributed to triangulate the data from qualitative method. After that, researchers analyses the qualitative data using Nvivo as a tool based on thematic coding and quantitative data using Excel and SPSS software as analysis tools to perform descriptive analysisCritical Challenges, Polytechnic, Northern and Central

The impact of NQT induction programmes on the enhancement of teacher expertise, professional development, job satisfaction or retention rates: a systematic review of research literature on induction

This report is the result of a preliminary study undertaken by the Induction Review Group between January and March 2003 which essentially involved a mapping exercise to identify the range and type of research studies addressing the research question, ‘How does current research characterise the impact of induction programmes on new teachers in relation to enhancing teaching expertise, professional development, job satisfaction and retention rates?’ Results of the initial in-depth review are reported in Chapter 4. The Review Group plans further refinements of the mapping exercise and other in-depth reviews drawing on it

Cyberbullying, K-12 Public Schools, and the 1st Amendment

The first amendment protected students’ first amendment rights in K-12 public schools; however, state antibullying legislation required school officials to discipline students for bullying and, in most states, cyberbullying as well. An increasing number of students had access to mobile devices at home and during the school day. School officials had the responsibility to protect students from instances of bullying and cyberbullying; however, school officials did not fully understand the extent of their authority to discipline students for acts of bullying that occurred online, off school grounds. Despite the existence of state antibullying laws in all fifty states, contradictory appellate court decisions in cases involving cyberbullying and K-12 public schools made it difficult for school administrators to understand their authority. Appellate courts utilized a Tinker test when determining the outcomes of cases involving cyberbullying and K-12 public schools. The Tinker test was derived from the Supreme Court decision in Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), in which the Supreme Court overturned the suspension of students that wore armbands to protest the Vietnam War. There were two prongs of the Tinker test: (1) whether the instance of cyberbullying caused a substantial interference in the school, and (2) whether or not a substantial interference could be reasonably forecasted. The purpose of this public policy dissertation was to provide state legislators and school administrators with an in-depth review of state antibullying laws as well as greater insight into how the appellate courts interpreted the extent and limitations of First Amendment in K-12 public schools. This public policy dissertation compared state antibullying legislation in all 50 states in the United States and reviews all appellate court decisions involving K-12 public schools and cyberbullying. Each state’s legislation was reviewed between October 31, 2016, and December 31, 2016, to determine (1) if there was an antibullying law in effect, (2) if cyberbullying was included in the legislation, (3) if bullying was defined as a one-time event, (4) if school officials were given the authority to discipline students for off-campus behavior, (5) if schools were required to implement an antibullying policy, (6) if the substantial interference or substantial disruption language from Tinker was included in the antibullying legislation, (7) if there was a school sanction for bullying, (8) if there was a criminal sanction for face-to-face bullying, and (9) if there was a criminal sanction for cyberbullying. Each appellate court decision involving K-12 public schools and cyberbullying was reviewed to determine how the Tinker test was applied in each case

The Effects of the Marzano Observation System Training on the Self-Efficacy of Teacher Observers

This research analyzed the effects of the Marzano Teacher Observation training on the self-efficacy of teacher observers. In this study, seventy-four teacher observers reported their self-efficacy in the areas of evaluating student engagement, evaluating classroom management, and evaluating instructional strategies in pre and post surveys. The results of the surveys were analyzed with a paired samples t-test. This study found that the Marzano Teacher Observation system increases the self-efficacy of teacher observers. This study was delimited to participants of a Marzano Teacher Observation training conducted in the fall of 2014. The findings of this study will inform executive school leaders of the impact Marzano Teacher Observation training has on the self-efficacy of teacher observers

Faculty Portraits 1981

Governors State University faculty portraits and biographies. College of Arts and Sciences: Ted Andrews, Clara Anthony, Daniel Bernd, Arthur Bourgeois, Ronald Brubaker, Warrick Carter, Edwin Cehelnik, Teresa Duron, Peter Fenner, Lydia Fontan, Efraim Gil, Temmie Gilbert, Harriet Gross, Peter Gunther, Elizabeth Hagens, Reino Hakala, John Hockett, Joselito Jara, Robert Jessen, Mohammed Kishta, Judith Lacaria, Otis Lawrence, Larry McClellan, Curtis McCray, Richard McCreary, Marcus Marzynski, Jon Mendelson, Daniel Mendoza de Arce, Sharyne Merritt, C. Edward Miller, Joyce Mohberg, Joyce Morishita, Melvyn Muchnik, Louis Mule, Roger Oden, June Patton, John Payne, Robert Press, Hugh Rank, David Reeve, Howard Roberts, Paul Schranz, Donna Siemro, Herman Sievering, Mel Slott, Linda Steiner, Rudolf Strukoff, William Toner, Alma Walker Vinyard, Anthony Wei, S. J. Luyimbazi Zake, Leon Zalewski College of Business and Public Administration: James Buckenmyer, Manuel Chavez, Michael Cohen, Lowell Culver, Robert Donaldson, Richard Finkley, Paul Green, Donald Herzog, Akkanad Isaac, Robert Judd, Robert Kelley, Tye Kim, Richard Lazarski, V. K. Chris Liebscher, Dale Max, Sheldon Mendelson, Robert Milam, Margaret Morton, Roscoe Perritt, Andrew Petro, Birginio Piucci, Carl Stover, Jordan Tsolakides, Richard Vorwerk College of Human Learning and Development: Ira Bank, Gerald Baysore, Roberta Bear, William Boline, Joanna Kay Bowers, Marvin Brottman, Lisa Chang, Roy Cogdell, David Crispin, Thomas Deem, Dimitroff Michael, Guillermo Duron, Clifford Eagleton, Melvyn Freed, O. W. Goldenstein, Harvey Grimsley, Paul Hill, Grace Hopkins, Helen Elizabeth Hughes, Barbara Jenkins, Jeffrey Kaiser, William Katz, Joyce Kennedy, Young Kim, Ana Kong, Michael Lewis, Jagan Lingamneni, Benjamin Lowe, William McLemore, David Matteson, George Michel, Sonya Monroe-Clay, Hector Ortiz, Suzanne Prescott, Michael Purdy, Pamela Rebeck, Vinicio Reyes, William Rogge, Tulsi Saral, Terri Schwartz, Nancy Sherick, Kenneth Silber, Michael Stelnicki, Carolyn Talbott, Sandra Whitaker, Kenneth Weig, Peggy Eleanor Williams, Buford Wilson, Audrey Witzman, Lonn Wolf, Addison Woodward Instructional Communications Center: Richard Burd, Ralph Kruse School of Health Professions: Elizabeth Brutvan, Clementine Coleman, Robert Cornesky, Constance Edwards, Linda Forner, Ann Fry, Clyde Gardner, Lee Hartzman, Suzanne Hildebrand, Doris Johnson, Linda Jones, Mary Eleise Jones, Annie Lawrence, Robert Leftwich, John Lowe, Jay Lubinsky, Brian Malec, James Massey, Laurel Maul, Irwin Miller, Mary Priebe, Sang-O Rhee, Kenneth van Doren, Kenneth Whittemore, Linda Ziemann Student Affairs and Services: David Suddick University Library: Martha Armstrong, Donna Barber, Elisabeth Glascoff, Adlean Harris, Miriam Kaplan, Joseph Meredith, Susan Morriss, Carl Peterson, Mary Schellhorn, Jean Singer, Shannon Tro

Using ODL and ICT to develop the skills of the unreached: a contribution to the ADEA triennial of the Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning

Innovation in technology is occurring at rapid pace thus shrinking the distances and making information and knowledge more than ever accessible to everyone irrespective of where the person resides. This paper consists of four main articles. The first one deals with technological trends. The second one focuses on the deployment and use of open and distance education mode in rural areas by documenting initiatives that embrace information and communication technologies (ICTs). Due to challenges faced in rural areas only a few success stories/cases currently exist and some of these are cited in this article. The challenges faced in the deployment of ICT enhanced ODL have been highlighted as well as the potential of developing and delivering effective and relevant ODL programmes in rural areas in order to ensure that issues of educational equity and social exclusion rural communities are adequately addressed. ICTs in ODL are perhaps the greatest tool to date for self-education and value addition to any community’s development efforts, yet poor rural communities particularly in Africa do not have the necessary awareness, skills or facilities to enable themselves to develop using ICTs. Inadequate ICT infrastructures in rural areas remain a major source for the digital divide in Africa and for under-performance of distance learners. The third one analyses the support provided to ODL learners who often encounter difficulties in completing their studies through the distance education mode due to loneliness, uncertainties and de-motivation. ICT has not been able to sufficiently support distance learners in overcoming those obstacles efficiently. An investigation regarding those learning supports has been conducted in ten distance learning institutions, along with an intensive literature review with the aim of understanding the high percentage of dropout rates of distant learners. The learners’ interactions have been scrutinized through content analysis of their synchronous exchanges, during a completely online course. After taking into account the limited technical and human resources in Africa, a technological virtual environment along with a pedagogical framework has been proposed with the aim of giving adequate educational support to them. The fourth article has explored The Open University (UK) and its efforts to use new technologies to deliver online courses to difficult-to- reach learners in prison environments. The case study analysed here is an international course (called, B201- Business Organisations and their environments) which also touches an African cohort of learners. The implications for designing and delivering online ODL to the complex unreachable environments of prisons anywhere, and particularly in Africa, have been discussed

Exploring Teacher Perceptions of Influential Facilitators of Elementary Mathematics Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Investigation

This dissertation examines the role of the facilitator in elementary mathematics professional development. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to answer the central research question: How do United States elementary school teachers perceive an influential facilitator of elementary mathematics professional development (EMPD)? Phase one of this study explored teacher perceptions through a phenomenological design, which informed the second phase of the study, the implementation of a survey instrument to elementary school mathematics teachers on a larger scale. This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter One presents a rationale for examining the role of the facilitator in professional development. Chapter Two builds on this rationale by synthesizing and discussing the current literature relating to professional development. Chapter Three examines the procedures used in each phase of the mixed methods research design. Within this examination are the specific sampling, data collection, and data analysis procedures that were used to investigate the central research question. Chapters Four and Five present the results of each phase of the research design and Chapter Six provides a discussion of these results with implications for future research

Current Challenges to Educational Leadership & Administration: An International Survey Report on the Pilot Survey

Published in the UCEA Review, Summer 2018. It was also published in 2017 as a stand-alone report (entered into the RIS)

Pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries

This rigorous literature review focused on pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries. It aimed to: 1. review existing evidence on the review topic to inform programme design and policy making undertaken by the DFID, other agencies and researchers 2. identify critical evidence gaps to guide the development of future research programme