The paper aims to map available evidence regarding the transfer of learning from professional development (PD) into practice. The scoping review is based on an analysis of the key characteristics of effective PD, drawing from 60 meta-analyses and various types of reviews (e.g., systematic, integrative, etc.) regarding PD both in general and in various professional fields published from 2009 to 2024. Three research questions are put forward: What characterises effective PD? Which theoretical concepts in the scientific literature represent the transfer of adult PD into practice? And what processes and indicators show effective ways of transferring PD and learning outcomes into practice? The methodology of the review is organised into three steps—preliminary study, the main study, and conceptualisation—by selecting publications and deriving concepts and conclusions relevant to the research questions, as well as identifying knowledge gaps for further exploration. The research literature uses various concepts to characterise the transfer of PD into practice as it is determined by different contexts, research traditions, and practices. Although effective PD has been defined and several theoretical models have been developed, research on PD effectiveness indicators and processes related to the transfer of PD into practice is still ongoing. However, not all evaluations take these models as bases to evaluate the existing PD practices, so the different indicators proposed by different researchers make it difficult to compare the results. The main problem is insufficient evidence in terms of measurable and comparable effectiveness criteria in all fields. The scoping review reveals a variety of controversial or incompletely researched aspects of transferring PD results into practice.

In Spring 2020, due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, all educational institutions in Latvia, including the University of Latvia (UL), transitioned from face-to-face on-site learning to remote learning. After a short period of face-to-face on-site learning in autumn, UL returned to remote learning in November for the second time. This paper investigates the UL students’ perspectives on remote teaching and learning at the UL during the first and second COVID-19 periods. The research assesses several remote study organization aspects, including the lecturer’s and student’s digital skills, their access to information and support during the study process, planning and implementation of the study process, and students’ acquisition of the content. The study used an original questionnaire designed in the Spring 2020 semester. Seven questions from the first questionnaire were included in another follow-up questionnaire distributed in the Spring 2021 semester. A total of 2248 UL students from the Spring 2020 semester and 742 students from the Spring 2021 semester participated in the study, representing 13 faculties across all study levels. The survey responses were collected via a QuestionPro survey platform and then downloaded into an IBM SPSS 28 file for a reliability check. Next, descriptive statistical analyses were conducted for each reported survey item using Microsoft Excel 2016. The research presented here implies that, in general, students perceive positive improvements in almost all the investigated aspects of the organization of the remote study process when comparing the first and second COVID-19 periods, which could indicate a certain level of resilience in students and university lecturers when subject to COVID circumstances. However, the results reveal that students have, in one year, developed a more realistic approach in assessing their digital skills. The results lead us to believe that remote on-line learning is not just a short-term solution but could become a valuable element for providing qualitative education in the long term. It could indicate that the students and lecturers at university are ready for new and sustainable higher education study organization solutions in the future.

Moving away from the so-called ‘Soviet legacy’, when children and young people with special needs were traditionally segregated during general education, such pupils were moved either to separate c...

Long-term studies have provided evidence that child development potential is influenced not only by genetic factors but also by various family, home, and broader contextual environmental factors. The aim of the theoretical review is to identify the most significant socioeconomic factors of the environment/family environment that can negatively affect early child development, predicting lower school readiness, school performance, and lower academic achievements. The theoretical review sought answers to the following questions: which socioeconomic environmental factors, family factors influence the early child’s developmental potential, and what is their relationship with the child’s academic achievements? How are socioeconomic/family risks identified? The theoretical study determine several main groups of factors that can predict high family risks and hinder and negatively impact early child development. The results were used to construct the part of the screening instrument developed by University of Latvia researchers in cooperation with University of Liepaja and Riga Stradiņš University reserchers. The instrument – Early Childhood Development Screening Toolkit (In Latvian: Bērnu agrīnās attīstības skrīninga instrumentu komplekts – BAASIK).

This article presents a feasibility study of a schoolteachers’ professional development program on virtue education. Using a questionnaire and focus group discussions, the study explored program feasibility through implementors’ and participants’ perceptions. While participants were more critical than implementors regarding design and delivery, the overall program feasibility was high, and its main strengths and shortfalls were established. Suggestions for its improvement were put forward.