Professional Development School Teachers' Perceptions of Collaboration PDF Download

Author: Kathleen Iris Beattie
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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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: Angela M. Hughes
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Special education teachers
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of regular education teachers and special education teachers related to the impact of collaboration on the effectiveness of co-teaching. Participants included K-8 regular education teachers and special education teachers employed by one school district in southeastern Pennsylvania. Thirty-four teacher participants, 19 regular education teachers and 15 special education teachers, participated in a researcher designed online survey consisting of demographic questions, 37 Likert questions and four open-ended questions. Seven participants answered researcher designed interview questions. Both regular education teachers and special education teachers acknowledged student success in the co-taught classroom that provided an environment where all student needs could be met through individualization and differentiation. Regular education teachers and special education teachers concurred that there was a need for common planning time and professional development opportunities; however, the findings indicated that there were inconsistencies with designated common planning time and a lack of professional development activities. Both participant groups also indicated a need for program evaluation related to co-teaching. Regular education teachers' perceptions largely aligned with the special education teachers'; however, some discrepancies were identified regarding training opportunities, as well as the lack of clarity between the expectations of regular education teachers and special education teachers.

Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264805974
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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This report aims to provide an in-depth analysis of teachers’ and school leaders’ perceptions of the value of their profession, their work-related well-being and stress, and their satisfaction with their working conditions. It also offers a description of teachers’ and school leaders’ contractual arrangements, opportunities to engage in professional tasks such as collaborative teamwork, autonomous decision making, and leadership practices.

Author: Alexandria Teresa Lawrence
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : College-school cooperation
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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Author: Pamela Ann Evors
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Collaboration -- Psychological aspects
Languages : en
Pages :

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The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teachers' perceptions of the collaborative process and how it affected their classroom practices. The research question was "What are the perceptions held by experienced public elementary-school teachers in a large urban school district in the southeastern United States regarding the collaborative process in their school settings?" The research design used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a specific group of public elementary-school teachers who had extensive professional development and experience with the collaborative process, either in co-teaching settings or in frequent collaboration with colleagues. Using the process of educational criticism (Eisner, 1998) and Hatch's (2002) typological analysis, interview data were analyzed. Eisner's description and interpretation using educational criticism involved six typologies: (a) multiple views of collaboration, (b) the roles of principals in teacher collaboration, (c) elements necessary for successful collaboration, (d) benefits of collaboration, (e) challenges of collaboration, and (f) the role of collaboration in the development of teachers' personal and professional identity. The evaluation dimension of Eisner's educational criticism focused on three categories based on data from the present study: how teacher collaboration promoted teacher leadership; how teacher collaboration developed teacher identity, and how teacher collaboration influenced student learning. Growth in teacher leadership, and development of teacher identity and student learning were characteristics associated with a strong educational and collaborative environment. Analysis of the data in the present study led to the development of five themes: (a) Teacher collaboration is a complicated process that must be learned; (b) Teacher buy-in leads to successful collaboration with colleagues; (c) Teacher collaboration thrives in a collaborative culture and contributes to the development of such a culture; (d) Teachers need to have certain characteristics to collaborate successfully; and, (e) Collaboration can develop and strengthen teacher identity, improve teaching practices, and increase student learning.

Author: Laurie J. Sullivan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Career development
Languages : en
Pages : 520

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The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is a specific professional development model situated within the teacher evaluation system being implemented in the Owen Public Schools (pseudonym). The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of school culture, school goals, and teacher collaboration on teachers' attitudes toward their Professional Development Plans. Data were also collected on teachers' perceptions of the steps of the PDP process to determine which steps had the greatest influence on teachers' attitudes toward their Professional Development Plans. The sample for this study was composed of 154 prekindergarten through high school teachers within one school district. Participants held a range of attitudes from very positive to very negative toward the Professional Development Plan. Significant correlations were found between teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan (TAPDP) and four out of the five factors of school culture. The factors of school culture - Collaborative ix Leadership, Teacher Collaboration, Professional Development and Unity of Purpose - were shown to be associated with teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan, although the relationships were not strong. Only the school culture factor Collegial Support was found not to be associated with teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan. Of the five school culture factors, only the factor Professional Development was a significant predictor of teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan. One aim of the research project was to discover the extent to which PDPs conducted individually and PDPs conducted collaboratively differed on teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan. The data showed a moderate effect size that suggested the variance in TAPDP scores was accounted for by whether a teacher collaborated with other teachers on a PDP or whether it was an individual effort. Another purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which PDPs aligned with school goals and PDPs not aligned with school goals differed on teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan. The data indicated a very large effect size and highlighted that a very large portion of the variance in TAPDP scores was accounted for by whether a teacher aligned the PDP with a school goal or whether the PDP had little or no alignment with a school goal. With regard to the steps of the PDP process, each of the four steps correlated positively with teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan. The strength of the relationship between TAPDP and Writing a Goal Statement was moderate, while strong relationships were evident for Describing Strategies/Activities for Reaching PDP Goals, Collecting Evidence of Progress on PDP and Reflecting on Evidence and Results of the PDP. Furthermore, when the steps of the PDP process were examined for their combined ability to predict TAPDP, two steps emerged as predictors. The two steps with the most influence on TAPDP were Describing Strategies/Activities for Reaching PDP Goals and Reflecting on Evidence and Results of PDP. Lastly, all of the demographic variables were found to be statistically nonsignificant for describing differences in TAPDP scores suggesting that years of teaching, educator role, gender, level of educational attainment and teaching level did not influence teachers' attitudes toward the Professional Development Plan.

Author: Karalyn Schmalz-Picard
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
ISBN: 9783659155253
Category : Career development
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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This study was an examination of teachers' perceptions in two schools: one school that showed exemplary collaboration among its staff and one school that was becoming a more collaborative school. Collaboration is understood as working in cohesion to achieve a common goal (Deal & Peterson, 2009; Fullan & Hargreaves, 1996; Little, 1982; Schlechty, 2009). One focus group with teachers at each school, with follow-up individual interviews, provided the data explaining colleagues' influences on engagement in professional development. The findings of this study suggest that colleagues have an important effect on teachers' engagement in professional development. Participants indicated that colleagues were a factor of engagement because they increased engagement through fulfilling their desire for face-to-face instruction, through their appreciation of being worked with, rather than worked on (Morewood & Bean, 2009), and through networking. As teacher participants worked together in professional development, they increased their school's organizational capacity (Mitchell & Sackney, 2001).

Author: Mary Kooy
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136651357
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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In the continuing global call for educational reforms and change, the contributors in this edited collection address the critical issue of teacher learning from diverse national contexts and perspectives. They define "teacher learning that matters" as it shapes and directs pedagogical practices with the goal of improving student learning. This book weaves together major studies, research findings and theoretical orientations to represent a globalized network of inquiries into the what, how and why of teacher learning that shapes teacher skill and knowledge. Teacher learning matters on an international scale because teachers are the portals through which any initiative for change and reform is realized. Recognizing that a highly skilled teaching force is instrumental to improving student achievement adds import to generating interactive dialogue on teacher learning around the globe.