Principal Perspectives on School Staffing Struggles: Finding from the 2022 Learn Together Survey. American Educator Panels. Research Report. RR-A827-14

In this report, a nationally representative sample of kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) public school principals were asked about their experiences with covering classrooms and hiring staff. In the spring of the 2021-2022 school year, which coincided with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) omicron variant surge, most principals struggled to keep classrooms consistently staffed and many reported that hiring had become more challenging since the previous school year. Principals indicated that a lack of substitute teachers -- not an increase in open teaching positions -- was the main reason for classroom coverage shortages. In addition to day-to-day coverage issues, most principals reported that teacher vacancies were on the rise. Most of these principals believed that vacancies had grown more difficult to fill than in the prior school year, largely because of declining applicant counts. Principals' preferences when hiring teachers lend further insight into potential drivers of hiring challenges. A large majority of principals expressed strong preferences for like-minded teachers whose mindsets aligned with the vision and culture of the schools. Few principals prioritized the diversity of the educator workforce at their schools.

ICT Transformation in Education: Its Impact on Language Teachers' Professional Identities

Rapid and continuous changes in digital technologies have changed both classroom practices and teacher profiles in education. It can be argued that a new context of teaching may lead some teachers to develop a different teacher identity in order to meet the needs of the era. Within this perspective, this case study attempts to explore the impacts of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) revolution in education on teachers' professional identity through the lens of three English instructors from three different contexts in Turkey. The study particularly focuses on reflections of teachers during the pandemic. As a theoretical framework, the study adopts Wenger's (1997) social theory of learning and, within this framework, it discusses these teachers' professional identities in relation to their ICT usage. In particular, three modes of belonging, Engagement, Imagination and Alignment, are underlined. A qualitative approach is employed based on the written history documents of the participants and semi-structured interviews as data collection tools. The findings are gathered with a deductive thematic analysis, and they illustrate that teachers have some external and internal difficulties regarding their ICT usage, and they form a new shape of professional identity mainly through collaboration, community expertise and contributing new ideas in their school contexts. Although the use of new digital technologies mostly enables them to adopt a positive and modern teacher identity in their teaching contexts, it also leads some of them to sometimes question their teacher identity due to their limited ICT knowledge and competence. Thus, the study suggests some implications both for language teachers to invest in their digital identities, and for school administrations to create a friendly atmosphere where the community of expertise can be shared freely among teachers.

Report on the Condition of Education 2023. NCES 2023-144

The "Report on the Condition of Education" is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Using the most recent data available (at the time this report was written) from NCES and other sources, the report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. There are core indicators that are updated every year and spotlight indicators that provide in-depth analyses on topics of interest to education agencies, policymakers, researchers, and the public. At the broadest level, the Condition of Education Indicator System is organized into five sections: family characteristics;preprimary, elementary, and secondary education;postsecondary education;population characteristics and economic outcomes;and international comparisons. The Report on the "Condition of Education 2023" encompasses key findings from the Condition of Education Indicator System. The full contents of the Indicator System can be accessed online through the website or by downloading PDFs for the individual indicators. [For "The Condition of Education 2023": At a Glance, see ED628291. For the "Report on the Condition of Education 2022. NCES 2022-144," see ED619870.]

Students engagement in remote-learning during the covid-19 crisis: The role of the support provided to teachers and the parent-teacher relationship

The global COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly forced hundreds of millions of teachers to shift from in-person to remote teaching. This abrupt change from classroom to home as the context for learning has required teachers to make substantial modifications and adjustments to engage their students in learning. This study was designed to explore what characterizes those teachers who better engage their students in learning. Based on the theoretical assumptions of Self Determination Theory (SDT), we asked whether teachers' experience of school as a need-satisfying environment, their teaching style, efficacy, and their relations with the students' parents, impact students' engagement in remote learning. Three hundred and thirty-six Israeli teachers completed self-report questionnaires on need satisfaction, teaching efficacy, teaching style, parent-teacher relationship, and students' engagement during Israel's May 2020 school shutdown. The results showed that teachers' experience of need-satisfaction emerged as a resource for teachers' efficacy, teaching style, and ability to create and maintain a positive relationship with parents. A positive relationship between parents and teachers, in turn, was associated with higher students' engagement in remote learning even when statistically controlling for socioeconomic status or grade level. These results highlight the critical role of the parent-teacher relationship in engaging students while learning remotely and suggest that the support provided to both teachers and parents can reduce disparities in students' engagement and promote engagement with learning under challenging contextual circumstances. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The impact of COVID-19 on tertiary statistics teaching practices in Australia

Statistical literacy, one of the core skills embedded in tertiary psychology education, is best taught using active learning pedagogy. Although a plethora of research has examined how the implementation of emergency online learning (EOL) in response to COVID-19 impacted teaching and learning in general, limited research has considered how this change affected tertiary teaching of psychology statistics specifically. We conducted an exploratory, two-phase, mixed-method study to consider how the implementation of EOL during COVID-19 impacted the teaching of research methods and statistics at tertiary institutions in Australia. A sample of 21 tertiary educators in Australia (52% females, 48% males), aged 26-55 (M = 39.75) completed an online survey, which included quantitative and qualitative items addressing experiences with online teaching and COVID-19 EOL. Of this cohort, we interviewed three educators about their experience in teaching statistics;changes in teaching conditions from 2019 to the present;challenges and advantages of EOL;and student satisfaction, engagement, and performance. Overall, we found that previous experience with online learning was a better indicator of success in EOL than years of teaching in general. Educators also felt underprepared and underresourced from their institutions. Many challenges of EOL were identified, with access to statistical software being the key challenge unique to teaching statistics. Overcoming technological inequities was recommended to improve EOL outcomes in the future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Supporting elementary gifted learners during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of teaching practices

The present mixed methods study aimed to understand the challenges faced by teachers of the gifted and how elementary gifted learners were supported and taught during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was administered to 310 elementary school teachers of the gifted across the United States between March and June 2021, one year after initial school closings. Focus groups were utilized to further explore how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the work of teachers of the gifted in their schools. Educators shared lessons learned from this experience related to (a) a better understanding of how to utilize remote instruction, (b) reimagining the gifted education classroom, and (c) use of a variety of strategies to provide more student choice, differentiation, and individualized pace. Results from this study provide insights that can guide educators, curriculum specialists, and school administrators to improve online instruction for gifted learners in the future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Personal variables that buffer against the development of burnout in public school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Teaching is one of the most emotionally exhausting careers due to high demands and workload, insufficient resources and supports, and student behavior management (Day et al., 2007;Demerouti et al., 2001;Trait, 2008). Increased stress related to teaching makes teachers highly susceptible to developing burnout, a psychological state characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of accomplishment (Maslach et al., 2001). Burnout in teachers is associated with lower levels of student achievement as students are directly impacted by the environment around them, including teacher well-being (Yavuz, 2009). With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting schools since March of 2020, teachers have been asked to adapt to challenging circumstances in their professional and personal lives. Research is limited on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted teachers' psychological well-being and the development of burnout in this population (Sokal et al., 2020). Variables have been found in the literature that protect against burnout, and some are explicitly associated with teachers. Optimism, intrinsic motivation, and social support are variables that have been found to protect against burnout in the teaching profession (Hassan et al., 2017;Otero-Lopez et al., 2014;Tornuk & Gunes, 2020). In the current study, the researcher aims to expand on research regarding burnout in teachers related to the COVID-19 pandemic and whether personal variables that have previously served as a buffer against burnout have remained protective in the pandemic. Support was provided for the relationship between burnout and the resiliency variables intrinsic motivation, optimism, and social support. Within this sample, individuals who presented with greater levels of these resiliency variables were less likely to demonstrate high levels of burnout. Perceived stress was also examined and accounted for the most variance in burnout in this sample, suggesting that stress levels were high in the sample. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Teachers' digital competence to assist students with functional diversity: Identification of factors through logistic regression methods

We are experiencing a serious health crisis due to COVID-19 that has a major impact on the field of education. The educational system therefore needs to be updated and innovated, with the addition of digital resources, to adapt the teaching and learning processes to students with disabilities. To meet the goal of high-quality education, teachers must have adequate digital competence to face the educational demands that are placed on them. Therefore, the purposes of this study are: to know the teachers' knowledge about digital resources to support students with disabilities (O1);at each educational stage (O2), identify the variables that have a significant impact on the acquisition of teacher competence (O3);propose a selection of useful ICT resources for each type of disability (O4). An ex post facto design was used with 1194 teachers from Andalusia (Spain). The results showed the medium-low level of the teaching staff, especially in the higher education stage. In addition, gender, motivation, attitude and having students with special needs are determining factors in the development of teacher knowledge. The results highlight the urgent need for teachers to be trained in digital resources. We hope that the range of resources proposed in this study will help teachers enhance their teaching practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Examination of Professional Commitment Levels of Primary and Secondary School Teachers during COVID-19 Pandemic Period

In this research, it is aimed to examine the professional commitment of primary and secondary school teachers. Descriptive survey model was used in this research. The sample of the study consisted of 341 teachers working in primary and secondary schools in the center and villages of a province and district in the Southeast region in the fall term of 2020-2021. In collecting data for this study, "Scale of Commitment to Teaching Profession" and "Personal Information Form" were used. In analyzing data of this study, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis H test and descriptive statistics were used. In accordance with the findings obtained from the research, during the COVID-19 pandemic process, it has been concluded that professional commitment of primary and secondary school teachers was high, professional commitment levels differ significantly according to gender and educational status and there is no significant difference according to the school level, professional seniority, age and marital status.

Teachers of Hispanic or Latino Origin: Background and School Settings in 2017-18. Data Point. NCES 2022-025

This Data Point examines the background and school settings of teachers of Hispanic or Latino origin in public and private schools in the United States before the coronavirus pandemic. It uses data from the public and private school teacher data files of the 2017-18 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), which is a national sample survey of public and private K-12 schools, principals, and teachers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. State-level estimates can also be produced for public schools, principals, and teachers. This Data Point looks at: (1) What were the characteristics of teachers of Hispanic or Latino origin in 2017-18?, and (2) What were the characteristics of schools where teachers of Hispanic or Latino origin taught in 2017-18?

Information Literacy and Metacognitive Abilities of Teachers: Case of a South African Rural School

The objective of this qualitative study was to assess the information literacy and metacognitive abilities of teachers in a rural school in South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Due to COVID-19 safety considerations, primary data was acquired from 10 teachers via semi-structured telephonic interviews. All participants' views were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis to determine the similarities and differences in terms of their responses. The findings of the study amongst others revealed that despite the giant strides made by the South African government to digitize teaching and learning activities in schools, large proportion of rural teachers have phobia to use computer applications unassisted. Also, low self-evaluation, goal-setting and help-seeking/self-reflection were found to be metacognitive abilities which hamper their effective teaching skills via usability of ICT. The study concludes by recommending programmes such as cognitive development, emotional intelligence, computer-digital programming for all teachers in rural schools for optimal performance.

Factors Affecting the Behaviors of Teachers towards Technology Integration Teaching via Distance Education during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis

In the current study, path analysis technique was applied to explain the possible causal relations between attitude towards distance education, interest in educational technologies, instructional technologies outcome expectation, intention to use educational technologies and technology integration self-efficacy variables. According to the data obtained, it was determined that attitude towards distance education variable suggested by the researcher did not contribute to the modified version of Social Cognitive Career Theory by Sahin (2008), which was determined to be a relatively better model in the current study. It is seen that the correlations of the variables in the research model vary between 0.103 and 0.773, and all of them are statistically significant and positive. In the current study, that technology integration self-efficacy variable interpreted 38% of the change in instructional technologies outcome expectation variable, 11% of the change in interest in educational technologies variable is explained by technology integration self-efficacy and instructional technology outcome expectation variables, intention to use educational technologies variable is both directly and indirectly affected by interest in educational technologies, instructional technologies outcome expectation and technology integration self-efficacy variables were also determined.

Indonesian Mathematics Teachers' Views on Distance Learning Barriers during the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of this paper is to describe the views of mathematics teachers in Indonesia on the distance learning barriers during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this paper investigates the barriers that teachers view as significant in distance learning and efforts taken to overcome the barriers during the early COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed a descriptive research design involving 415 mathematics teachers by snowball sampling to fill out an online questionnaire. This study shows that barriers related to pedagogical dimensions were perceived as significant in distance learning during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, this study reveals that most of the teachers did some efforts that can be done by the teachers themselves to overcome the barriers. Based on the findings, we argue that it is important to support teachers' pedagogical competencies to conduct distance learning in order to face this current pandemic or any future crises that may potentially disrupt face-to-face learning.

Academics' Perception and Practices of Online Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Turkey

COVID-19 affected higher educational institutions around the world. This study focused on academics' perceptions and practices of online education based on their academic discipline and previous online education experience. The survey research design used and an e-survey was conducted in May 2020, during which the lockdown restrictions were rather tight in Turkey. The analyzes were carried out on the responses of 8,242 academics' using the omnibus chi-square test and t-tests. The results point out that academics' time allocation to preparation for courses, student counselling, and lectures are varying due to their academic disciplines. Generally, academics have a negative perception of online education though there is a difference between the experienced ones and others. In particular, academics with online education experience exhibited lower negative perceptions of online education than those lacking such experience. Maybe one of the most problematic parts of this transition process for academics is how to ensure the reliability of exams. Our results showed that even the academics with online education experience have a higher level of distrust towards educational measurement and evaluation methods.

Enduring Lessons for Current Times from a Forgotten Froebelian Foot Soldier in Aotearoa-New Zealand: Miss Isabel Little (1876-1937)

Miss Isabel Little was a Scottish infant teacher who immigrated to New Zealand in 1912. She was described as a "Froebel trained Scot from Edinburgh" and known around Wellington education circles for her "modern methods". In contrast to known Froebelian pioneers, Miss Little's historical footprint is light but the few glimpses yield insights useful to consider in current times. Miss Little is described in this article as a forgotten Froebelian foot soldier who, like others were the mainstay of a kindergarten movement that transformed the early education of children. Individual and collective advocacy, as demonstrated by Miss Little a century ago, are evident in current times. The political and pedagogical context of early years education has changed in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) but there are still battles to be won. Coinciding with the consequences of COVID-19 in 2020 was the government's intended roll-out of "He Taonga te Tamaiti -- Early learning action plan 2019-2029," creating calls for a strategic rethink: to hasten rather than slow down its implementation. Connecting these stories, past and present, was accidental as they collided into the space of the author's life during a stern lockdown that mainly halted the virus at the border. More broadly they epitomize the stretch and potency of Froebelian principles across centuries and places.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in Rural Afghanistan: Findings from a Baseline Learning Assessment of Accelerated Learning Centres

In Afghanistan, 93% of children cannot read a simple text by the age of 10. Education is not available to everyone, especially for girls and children in remote areas. A form of community-based education, called Accelerated Learning Centers (ALCs), can help close the distance barrier and meet the needs of out-of-school children and girls. In May 2021, an assessment of foundational literacy and numeracy skills of ALC students and nearby government school students was conducted. Results show that children at ALCs are learning at similar levels or better compared with children who attend government schools. This report provides insight into practices to improve education in rural areas in Afghanistan.

Report on the Condition of Education 2022. NCES 2022-144

The "Report on the Condition of Education" is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Using the most recent data available (at the time this report was written) from NCES and other sources, the report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. There are core indicators that are updated every year and spotlight indicators that provide in-depth analyses on topics of interest to education systems, policymakers, researchers, and the public. At the broadest level, the Condition of Education Indicator System is organized into five sections: family characteristics, preprimary, elementary, and secondary education, postsecondary education, population characteristics and economic outcomes, and international comparisons. The "Report on the Condition of Education" 2022 encompasses key findings from the Condition of Education Indicator System. The Indicator System for 2022 presents 88 indicators, including the 23 indicators on crime and safety topics, and can be accessed online through the website or by downloading PDFs for the individual indicators. [For "'The Condition of Education 2022': At a Glance," see ED619873. For the "Report on the Condition of Education 2021. NCES 2021-144," see ED612942.]

Ready or Not: Gulf Country Teachers' Challenges toward Teaching Online Courses in Emergency Cases in Higher Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the challenges faced by teachers from the Arabian Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait while teaching virtual online courses. Because online learning in higher education in these countries had not occurred before the current pandemic, the teachers and students faced new challenges for the first time, including online communication, inadequate training, insufficient practice, and incompetence in online assessment. Seventy-six teachers of higher education in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia participated in this study, which was a survey created by the first author to determine the effectiveness of communication, training, practicing and assessing students' performance during the pandemic. Results indicated that no differences were found between the two countries, while participants felt that training was adequate for the task of converting to remote teaching, they were concerned about nonverbal aspects of communication and assessing online work. Suggestions included obtaining participants from other Gulf countries, refining the survey, and involving different types of institutions such as private colleges. The results of this study imply that for many teachers, improvements in communication and assessment are necessary to improve online teaching, which is likely to continue in these countries after the pandemic is over.

STEM Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Qatar: Secondary School Students' and Teachers' Perspectives

This study examines how students and teachers perceive science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected through student and teacher surveys, conducted in 22 public and 17 private secondary schools at Qatar. Participants included 1,505 students and 545 teachers in grades 11 and 12. Results showed students' and teachers' demographic factors, including gender, school type, grade level, and majors, emerged as salient predictors of perceptions of the pandemic as disruptive to students' STEM learning. Specifically, both students and teachers perceived keeping up with coursework, being physically isolated from classmates, and keeping a regular schedule at home to be key barriers. Results further revealed that neither students nor teachers viewed communicating with staff and teachers, losing contact with teachers, or accessing and using technology as barriers. Moreover, school type and gender were important predictors of how students and teachers perceived STEM learning during the pandemic.

Attitudes and Opinions of Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School Teachers on Distance Education: A Mixed Method Research

This study aimed to determine the attitude levels of Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School teachers towards distance education and these levels in terms of various variables (gender, education status, or profession). This study, it was aimed to determine whether there was a difference between the status of being a culture teacher and professional seniority. The research is carried out with the explanatory sequential design approach, one of the mixed-method research designs that consist of teachers working in Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools in Sakarya in the 2020-2021 academic year. Quantitative data of the study were collected from 244 teachers. They were determined by a purposive sampling method, and qualitative data were collected from 43 teachers and is determined by the convenient sampling method. A sufficient number of samples were selected from the existing sample due to the rapid and easy accessibility of the teachers from whom quantitative data were collected. Quantitative data were obtained with the "Personal Information Form" created by the researchers to determine the demographic characteristics of the teachers, and the Distance Education Attitude Scale, developed by Agir (2007) to determine distance education attitudes. In acquiring qualitative data, a semi-structured interview form consisting of open-ended questions prepared by the researchers was used. In the first part of the interview form, there are questions about the demographic information of the teachers participating in the research. In the second part, there are seven questions prepared by the researchers to determine the opinions of the teachers about distance education based on the results obtained from the quantitative data and the literature review on distance education. The researchers collected the data through Google Forms, created from the questions in the scale and interview forms. In the analysis of the quantitative data obtained, descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilk normality test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA test were used. Qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive analysis methods within the framework of the themes determined by evaluating the advantages and limitations of distance education sub-dimensions. It has been tried to reach the possible reasons underlying the quantitative results with the qualitative data obtained. As a result of the research, it has been determined that teachers disagree with the view that distance education has advantages. They believe that distance education has limitations, and their attitude levels towards distance education are below the medium level. In the study, the reasons for the teachers' attitude levels towards distance education below the medium level were evaluated by evaluating the advantages and limitations of distance education and the sub-dimensions of "student academic success," "efficiency of education," "positive and negative aspects compared to face-to-face education," "difficulties encountered," and "opportunity ."In this study, it has been tried to be revealed with the opinions of teachers within the framework of the themes of "whether it provides equality," "teacher and student motivation," and "recommendations for effective distance education."