A Study of Teachers' and Administrators' Perceptions of Collaborative Teaching PDF Download

Author: RitaAnna Bell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Inclusive education
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Author: Rachel Martin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Abstract Only a few studies have questioned teachers' perceptions of collaborative professional development work at the elementary level; however there is considerable literature on collaborative teams as a means for professional development. Professional development programs are often diverse in philosophy, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, however the research on high quality professional development seems to support collaboration. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary teachers' perceptions of collaborative professional development teams. Capturing teachers' perspectives on collaborative practices could potentially provide insight to administrators when creating professional development opportunities for teachers. Are collaborative teams seen (1) as a mechanism for promoting teacher growth, (2) a way to improve their own practice, and (3) a way to improve the practice of their team? In addition, does the principals' control of these collaborative teams (4) have any influence on the teachers' perceived value of these teams, and (5) are the perceptions of the teachers and principals comparable in regards to collaborative professional development teams? The study included five elementary schools in a large urban district where there was a strong commitment to professional development. Two of the five schools participated in face-to- face interviews for in-depth conversations and data collection. Teachers and principals were a part of this case study. Through data analysis, the participants reported that collaborative teams were a positive means for professional development as they perceived it. The professional development teams were perceived by teachers as being more successful when: 1) there were opportunities to share in vertical teams, 2) there were structures and adequate time was provided, 3) there was a safe environment, 4) there was trust in colleagues, 5) the work was connected to the goals of the school, and 6) they saw student work improving as a result of their collaborative efforts. In addition, the data revealed that the amount of control that the principal has in creating the collaborative teams does not appear to negatively impact teachers' perceptions of the positive benefits of practice. When teachers felt that their work was purposeful and focused on school goals they were more willing to work in any team configuration that they were assigned to, as this helped them to grow professionally.

Author: Cynthia A. Lassonde
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470553979
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Teacher Collaboration for Professional Learning contains the essential information, tools, and examples teachers and school leaders need to create, manage, and sustain successful collaborative groups. Designed to be a hands-on resource, this practical guide shows you how to: Advocate for collaborative teacher learning Develop and sustain collaborative research groups Organize and conduct productive research projects Address issues of ethics, leadership, and group dynamics Evaluate and sustain collaborative learning activities Based on data from a major survey, Teacher Collaboration for Professional Learning features extensive case examples from model research communities collaborating within schools, across districts, in partnership with universities, and as online networks. The book also offers a wealth of reproducible templates as well as reflection questions and exercises?invaluable tools for organizing study groups.

Author: Carrie Lee Hedrick
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational change
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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This study explored administrators' perceptions of and perceived role in the inclusive instructional setting known as co-teaching. In order to understand the participants' perceptions of co-teaching, the interviews explored their perceptions of their overarching roles in reference to the following: the school change that has occurred through federal laws; how school culture was created in their schools; how they are an instructional leader; and how they manage their school. From these overarching roles of an administrator, the participants were then asked to explore how co-teaching fits into those roles. From those conversations many consistent and inconsistent themes were revealed about the roles of an administrator in today's age of accountability through federal laws and regulations. The participants explained the increase in accountability, requirements for quality staff, the benefits and challenges of co-teaching, and the need for administrators as instructional leaders. They reflected on the decreases in provisions, the division between special and general education, and the limited local control of education. They elaborated on the role conflict and role strain they felt as an administrator. The inconsistent themes shed light on the lack of training about co-teaching for administrators and teachers and differences in expectations of co-teachers between the cases, so the evaluations of co-teachers are not consistent across Smith District. The administrators desired for a tiered evaluation tool for educators and more control over teacher salaries. The final inconsistency was the type of quality of teachers required primary verse secondary schools.

Author: Brooke Ann Cortese
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational leadership
Languages : en
Pages : 105

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The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of general education teachers, special education teachers and administrators on essential leadership skills to enhance co-teaching. Seventy-two participants, including 55 general education teachers, 5 special education teachers and 12 administrators, volunteered from 2 school districts in southeastern Pennsylvania for this qualitative study. The data sources for this study included a researcher-designed survey, open-ended questions and personal interviews. Results of the study indicated general education teachers, special education teachers and administrators present similar views on their perceptions of essential leadership skills, knowledge and qualities to enhance co-teaching. Most participants agreed the specific skills essential for leadership are communication and flexibility. Participants found the knowledge necessary for leadership to enhance co-teaching include understanding how collaboration works, having a vast repertoire of team work concepts, holding common norms and sharing accountability for program implementation and enhancement. Teachers and administrators agreed the essential quality for leadership is respect, along with integrity and understanding in addition to collaboration and communication. Finally, allocating staff and securing funding were the most challenging obstacles for leadership and are becoming increasingly limited due to the current economic conditions.

Author: Thomas Anthony Compitello
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Pennsylvania
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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This study examined the co-teaching model of instruction in two different school districts within southeastern Pennsylvania. Three middle schools, one in School District I, and two in School District II, participated in the study. The study examined how administrators and teachers from two different school districts perceived collaborative teaching and its significance in addressing the needs of middle school students, with and without exceptionalities, within diverse, inclusive classrooms. The study analyzed the responses of 12 teacher respondents, four in School District I, Middle School A, and eight in School District II, four in Middle School B, and four in Middle School C. Each special education and general education respondent completed a Perceptions of Co-Teaching Survey which utilized Likert continuum responses. Five co-taught classes were observed by the researcher, one in Middle School A, two in Middle School B, and two in Middle School C. In order to acquire qualitative data with regard to co-teaching experiences, the researcher utilized open-ended probes during twelve teacher and three administrator telephone interview sessions. The study results indicated that a majority of participants believed that the collaborative model of instruction is a viable strategy to implement in order to meet the needs of all children in diverse, inclusive classrooms.

Author: Donna Joan Murray
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Abstract: The purpose of this study was to add to the existing knowledge base concerning the teacher-led study group as an effective form of student centered professional development. Administrators' and teachers' perceptions concerning the effects of study group participation and the evidence of change to which they referred was the focus. Research showed that study group participation is gaining popularity as a form of professional development (Murphy & Lick, 2001). Study groups typically gather educators together to learn more about topics of their choice. Their goal is usually two-fold: to improve both teaching and student learning. At sessions colleagues reflect on experiences, share what is working, and cooperatively solves problems of implementation. Evidence indicates that collegial conversations increase teacher knowledge, stimulate new understanding, and encourage teachers to try new approaches they might not have had the courage to try. The following research questions stimulated this qualitative study: (1) What are administrators' perceptions about the role of study groups in meeting district-wide professional development goals? (2) What factors do participants consider important when participating in a study group as a form of professional development? (3) What are teachers' perceptions about the effects of study group participation on their own teaching practices and on their students' learning outcomes? (4) What types of evidence do teachers and administrators provide to support their perceptions of teaching and learning outcomes of study group participation? This study captured the perceptions of 25 teachers, three principals, and one assistant superintendent. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, observations, surveys, and document analysis. Results indicated that administrators perceived study groups as providing a way to introduce new ideas to the faculty, to get test results into the classroom, to connect to district-wide goals, and to provide an opportunity for reflection. The type of evidence that most administrators offered was large-scale test results. Teachers described situations involving taking responsibility for student learning, using best practices, and engaging in collaborative problem solving. They found evidence of change in daily observations and large-scale test results. In conclusion, the use of study groups as a form of professional development contributed to the creation of a stimulating environment that supported teachers' professional growth and provided a way to accomplish district-wide goals.

Author: Heidi Capetola
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Middle school education
Languages : en
Pages : 101

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The purpose of this study was to examine middle school educators' perceptions of the impact of teacher collaboration on student and teacher learning. This qualitative research study investigated the perceptions of middle school educators serving as language arts, reading, science, social studies, or mathematics teachers and principals and assistant principals. The study was conducted in 3 middle schools with a grade structure of 6-8 in southeastern Pennsylvania. Seven administrators and 64 teachers participated in the questionnaire portion of the study. Individual interviews with 15 participants (12 teachers and 3 administrators) provided additional insights on their perceptions. Results of the study indicated that middle school educators perceived collaboration as a vehicle for positively impacting the professional development of teachers and for increasing student learning. The research findings also suggested that many educators perceived specific benefits of teacher collaboration to be improvement of individual teaching skills based upon knowledge gained from colleagues, clearer goals for student learning, and increased reflection on the teaching and learning process. The findings also identified challenges to collaboration which include establishing trust, possessing a willingness to change, and openness to new ideas. The data also revealed areas of needed growth in collaborative practices which include ensuring teachers share student work and analyze data during collaborative time. Results also indicated that teachers are appreciative of the time given for collaboration with their colleagues, but often there is little administrative involvement and direction for how to use collaborative time.

Author: Areej Shafai
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Professional learning communities
Languages : en
Pages : 126

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Book Description
Every nation faces the challenge of the continuous professional development of its teachers and educational administrators through structured in-service workshops and follow-up monitoring of promising teaching practices. The Saudi Arabia educational system in its elementary, middle and secondary schools, both public and private, has organized to assist educators in effectively responding to constantly changing workforce demands in an increasingly diverse and technological world. Classroom teaching practices that involve collaborative learning are an important innovation. Yet collaborative learning approaches can also play an important role in the very process of delivering and following up on professional development workshops. Data for this mixed-methods explanatory study were collected and analyzed in two phases. An initial survey was given to 62 educators and 24 administrators in both public and private elementary, middle and secondary schools, and the results were analyzed using Qualtrics web-based analysis tools. The results of this survey influenced the design of the second phase: structured interviews with three educators and three administrators from both public and private schools. These interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed, and then coded and analyzed with Dedoose web-based qualitative data analysis software. The findings of the quantitative phase focused on four major areas of concern: working in isolation, barriers to participation and collaboration in professional development, encouragement, and educational supervisors' support. As a result, the second research phase, structured qualitative interviews, were centered around four themes: collaborative learning, working in groups, support and encouragement, and the supervision system. Cross-tabulation of the quantitative findings revealed large differences between male and female educators in terms of how often they visited other colleagues' classroom, as well as the time available to engage in collaborative practices, with males observing colleagues more often and usually collaborating in scheduled meetings. Public and private school educators reported distinct patterns of how time was utilized, with private school participants collaborating in scheduled meetings, and public school participants engaging in brief collaborations between classes. Cross-tabulating the results of the qualitative interviews showed that in many identified themes and subthemes teachers differed dramatically from administrators in their perceptions, and that educators with more years of experience differed from participants in the early stages of their careers in the schools of Saudi Arabia.

Author: Tori Renee Hill
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cooperating teachers
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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This study examined secondary teacher and administrator perceptions of co-teaching practices as they relate to preservice and in-service training. In this mixed-methods study, general education math and English teachers and special education teachers in three suburban high schools were given a survey to provide input regarding co-teaching practices in their school/district. The survey results were analyzed to determine trends of variables relating to teacher perceptions. Additionally, interviews with four administrators (three schools and one district) were conducted to correlate expectations, strengths and weaknesses, and training with the results of the teacher survey. Multiple themes emerged, which included collaboration/planning, administrative support, volunteer/willingness, training/professional development, and relationship/trust. The results of the study showed teacher preparation programs were not consistent in providing a foundation on teaching students with disabilities, and there are weaknesses in professional development for successful co-teaching practices. Analyses of both survey and interview data provide insight into co-teaching in math and English classrooms and identify possible implications for the district’s co-teaching practices.