A review of the empirical research literature on PLCs for teachers in the Global South: evidence, implications, and directions

This article presents a review of 70 empirical articles focussing on professional learning communities (PLCs) for teachers in the Global South. The review highlights an upward trend in the quantity of the publications on PLCs from 2010 onwards. The evidence suggests that PLCs could be initiated as a result of a mandate, a project of professional development, or needs for mutual support of teachers. This latest review identified evidence on some potential impacts of teachers’ authentic participation in PLCs on their collaborative professional learning, efficacy, innovative teaching, and interpersonal trust building. The conditions for developing and sustaining PLCs include strong leadership support, readiness of infrastructure, focus on learning and teaching, and quality of trusting relationships. The article concludes with some recommendations to diversify and strengthen the evidence base of PLCs and to move forward with this significant model of professional development in the Global South

Participation in adult learning: system characteristics and individuals’ experiences

Research on participation and inequality in adult education and training shows ‘system characteristics’ play a key role in restricting access to young adults with low levels of education. This chapter focuses on what advantages an inclusive policy on lifelong learning has for society as a whole. Structural barriers mean that an opportunity (or desire) to participate is not equally distributed, yet some low-educated adults do participate. From them we can learn how barriers can be lowered. Initiatives under the EU’s Youth Guarantee and Upskilling Pathway programmes are analysed across nine countries, representing different welfare regimes and approaches to adult education. Learners’ and staff experiences are broadly similar across programmes and countries. Participants’ motivation and confidence are key to success, pointing to the need for individual support

Towards reducing anxiety and increasing performance in physics education: Evidence from a randomized experiment

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention of formative assessments with a clicker-based technology on anxiety and academic performance. We use a randomized experiment in physics education in one school in Dutch secondary education. For treated students the formative assessments are operationalized through quizzing at the end of each physics class, where clickers enable students to respond to questions. Control students do not receive these assessments and do not use clickers, but apart from that the classes they attend are similar. Findings from multilevel regressions indicate that the formative assessments significantly reduce anxiety in physics, and improve academic performance in physics in comparison with a traditional teaching. Furthermore, a mediation effect of anxiety in physics on academic performance is observed. In sum, this implies that an easily to implement technique of formative assessments can make students feel more at ease, which contributes to better educational performance

Towards reducing anxiety and increasing performance in physics education: Evidence from a randomized experiment.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention of formative assessments with a clicker-based technology on anxiety and academic performance. We use a randomized experiment in physics education in one school in Dutch secondary education. For treated students the formative assessments are operationalized through quizzing at the end of each physics class, where clickers enable students to respond to questions. Control students do not receive these assessments and do not use clickers, but apart from that the classes they attend are similar. Findings from multilevel regressions indicate that the formative assessments significantly reduce anxiety in physics, and improve academic performance in physics in comparison with a traditional teaching. Furthermore, a mediation effect of anxiety in physics on academic performance is observed. In sum, this implies that an easily to implement technique of formative assessments can make students feel more at ease, which contributes to better educational performance

The effectiveness of Peer-led and Trainer-led e-Learning Leadership Training for School Leaders: A Randomized Experiment in Rwanda

This paper studies the effectiveness of two different conditions of offering an e-learning leadership training for school leaders in Rwanda in a randomised controlled trial. We distinguish a trainer-led condition in which a trainer guides the school leader, and a peer-led condition that includes peer discussions among school leaders to facilitate the learning process. We look at multiple outcomes, such as participation rates and exam scores, as well as leadership skills, motivation and satisfaction of school leaders. Results indicate no significant difference between the two groups for most outcomes. For two modules, we find that peer-led school leaders perform significantly higher on both formative and summative assessments. Furthermore, it is observed that trainer-led school leaders self-report fewer e-learning barriers, and higher overall leadership skills. However, this self-reported observation was not confirmed by the teachers from their schools, who also assessed their school leader’s leadership skills. The results imply that that the peer-led condition outperformed the trainer-led condition, on all objective outcome measures. Given the much lower costs for organising an online leadership training in a peer-led condition, we can conclude that it does not seem to be worth it to make this e-learning training trainer-led

Toegang tot leven lang leren versnelt economische groei

Onderzoek onder diverse sociale groepen naar de toegang tot 'een leven lang leren’ toont aan dat in het bijzonder laagopgeleiden het risico lopen uitgesloten te worden van leven lang leren. Wat betekent dit voor de economische groei?status: Published onlin

Levenslang leren in de Belgische gezondheidszorg: aantrekkelijk, toegankelijk en doeltreffend?

De Belgische gezondheidszorg is de op drie na beste van Europa. Levenslang leren kan het kwaliteitsvolle zorgaanbod op peil houden. Cijfers van de Enquête naar de arbeidskrachten tonen echter aan dat levenslang leren in België onvoldoende wordt benut. De situatie wordt beschreven aan de hand van drie bepalende factoren van levenslang leren: aantrekkelijkheid, toegankelijkheid en effectiviteit.status: publishe

Biedt volwasseneneducatie een antwoord op de digitalisering?

Gesteld wordt dat tot 15% van de bevolking tussen 25 en 64 jaar best deelneemt aan volwasseneneducatie. Met 11,3% in EU-28 in 2019 liggen we veraf van het bereiken van deze doelstelling in 2020. In dit artikel wordt aangetoond dat deelname aan volwasseneneducatie nauw samenhangt met de (creatie van) werkgelegenheid in bepaalde beroepsgroepen, in casu, ICT-professionals, die onder invloed van de digitalisering, prominenter nodig zijn op de regionale arbeidsmarkt.status: Published onlin