This study serves as an insight into teachersÆ perceptions of their staff development experiences. With the constraints under the No Child Behind Act, teachers, schools, and school systems are faced with the challenge of meeting extremely high standards with students. Although standards such as these expectations have never been met, it remains that teachers are faced with attempting this task. Teachers shared their perceptions of the staff development experiences they have received. Student achievement and its relationship to staff development was explored. Teachers discussed perceived factors that influenced staff development training. Also, included in the study was teachers' perceptions of the need for staff development with proven applications. A qualitative research method utilized interviews from 25 veteran and apprentice elementary teachers ranging in experience from two years to thirty plus years of service in the educational profession. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and transferred to the NUDIST program. This allowed all transcripts to be coded and analyzed. This process allowed themes to emerge from the data. This study could be of interest to school systems into the insights and needs of apprentice and veteran teachers. The results of these data could assist school districts with information to evaluate their current staff development programs and determine if changes should be made.

This study was designed for the purpose of quantitatively examining the perceptions of northeast Tennessee principals as they compared their system's professional development plans to Learning Forward's, formerly the National Staff Development Council, recently revised definition of professional development. The theoretical frameworks for this study lay in the recent works of Schlechty (2009) on transforming schools into learning organizations, and Senge (2006), who provided the essential principles of learning organizations. Data were collected from 124 principals in 19 school systems in northeast Tennessee, using a 4-point Internet based survey created by Learning Forward to evaluate perceptions of how well professional development programs address the individual components of Learning Forward's revised definition of professional development. Findings included no statistical significance between the size of the school and perception of how comprehensive, sustained, and intensive the professional development plan was or the method used to implement the professional development plan. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the perceptions of comprehensive, sustained, and intensive professional development and the method used to implement the professional development plan. Elementary school principals believed that their professional development plans were more comprehensive, sustained, and intensive than did their secondary school principal colleagues. However, there was no significant difference between their perceptions of methods for implementing professional development plans.

This study examined the effect of sustained principal development through membership in the BYU Principals Academy on collaborative activities and teamwork in schools. Principals who participated in the BYU Principals Academy received preparation and training to assist in the development and maintenance of professional learning communities in their schools. A 39-item online survey that focused on attitudes and experiences with teamwork and collaboration was disseminated to 12 teachers at each school where the principal was a member of the Principals Academy and where e-mail addresses were available. In addition, a control group of teachers from schools where the principal had no prior exposure to the academy also received the survey. Different cohorts were created depending on the year when principals joined the academy, ranging from 2002 to 2006. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to investigate the dimensionality of the survey variables. The resulting variables were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA test followed by Fisher's post-hoc test. Open response data was subjected to themes-based content analysis. The factor analysis revealed several variables. Once these factors were analyzed further, significant differences for the derived variable Experiences with Teamwork were located between the 2002 and the 2003 cohorts and between the control group and four of the five cohorts. Content analysis of data generated by the open-ended questions revealed mixed experiences with teamwork and collaboration. Teachers reported either exclusively positive or negative experiences with teamwork and collaboration and teaming were most often connected to the every day tasks linked to teacher survival rather than student learning and assessment. Some differences in variables between the 2002 cohort and the 2003 cohort may be attributed to the unique composition of these cohorts. In the 2003 cohort, several teachers were from the Carbon School District, and in the 2002 cohort several teachers were from schools where the principal was a member of the Principals Academy steering committee. Differences between the 2002 cohort and the control group may be attributed to the longevity of exposure to professional learning community principles and ideas in the 2002 cohort and a lack of this knowledge in the control group. A follow-up study could concentrate on focused interviews of principals in the 2002 cohort to investigate how this cohort may be different from the other cohorts.

This study examines the experiences of two teachers in a public charter school who implement action research in their classrooms. The study explored the key elements of professional development as well as action research and makes the case as to why action research is an effective tool for teacher development. Participants were selected based on having little teaching experience and familiarity with action research. The study examined the experiences of teachers who have had limited professional development as they use action research in their practices. Data for the study were drawn from interviews as well as researcher and participant journals.

The purpose of this action research study was to observe, participate in, and tell the story of teachers involved in a professional development experience. Professional development is an important tool to assist teachers in improving their teaching abilities. After a review of the literature on various forms of professional development and some personal experience with a variety of professional development activities, I created a collaborative study group (CSG) that included three teachers. Their work together was studied using a narrative approach to action research. The stories of these three teachers and their experiences with an informal professional development activity are shared in narrative prose that honors the voices of the participants. The data were analyzed through an iterative process that revealed the content and process of the professional development experience and allowed me to evaluate the activity. Over the six-month study the participants explored a range of issues such as education challenges, students the teachers were working with, and the personal and professional lives of teachers. The teachers discussed educational issues related to helping students (them), the individual teachers (me), and the teachers' relationships with each other (us). The CSG was a unique and informal professional development experience that empowered the participants to take charge of their personal and professional growth as teachers. This study provides evidence that teachers do not need to rely on school or district initiatives for professional development activities but can seek out other teachers to design meaningful and effective professional development.

Florida's United States History End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment performance outcomes are scheduled to impact student course grades, educator evaluation scores, and school grades. A professional learning plan to improve teaching and learning in support of student achievement on the Assessment does not exist. Neither Florida Statute nor the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) facilitate or fund professional learning in support of these influences. This dissertation in practice proposes the use of the U.S. History EOC Assessment Professional Learning Series to build educator capacity in support of student achievement on the Assessment. Implementation of professional learning could address the disparity between the legislated Assessment and its potential impacts. Tyler's (1949) curriculum development rationale and Shulman's (1986) notion of pedagogical content knowledge provided a conceptual framework for the proposed professional learning. Professional learning experiences were designed to include (1) an assessment simulation, (2) a correlation of simulated assessment items to item specifications, (3) a test item writing practicum, and (4) model lessons. The series was designed to support pedagogical content knowledge growth in planning, teaching, and assessing United States History; and improve instructional and professional efficacy. The ultimate purpose of the series is to improve teaching and learning to support student achievement on U.S. History EOC Assessment.

The goal of this research was to examine the relationship between the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) admissions criteria and the prediction of future counseling competencies in four domain areas; knowledge, counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) provided the measure for knowledge, paired with the Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS), measuring counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. Three types of correlational analyses (Multiple-linear Regression, Pearson Product Moment, and Canonical) were used to test the relationships between the variables and subscales. Overall, significant models were produced in areas consistent with past research: GRE and UGPA scores show a relationship to CPCE scores but not the CCS skills assessment. The author concluded that counselor educators should review their admissions criteria and ensure that the value that they place on the GRE and UGPA criteria is backed by research. Recommendations for future research should focus on the use of alternate admissions criteria which assess applicants for personal characteristics and other qualities considered necessary for a counselor to be successful.

Principal involvement is recognized as a key component to success in professional development implementation. Both the principal efforts undertaken, and the visions stated influence teacher development and student achievement. Using the instructional, transformational, and learning-centered models of leadership, as well as frameworks in vision, and organizational theory, this research sought to clarify the impact of principal involvement on student performance. Interview data was collected from 16 principals participating in a mathematics professional development program entitled the Comprehensive Mathematics Initiative. Of the participants, 9 of the principals were from schools that achieved high levels of student performance on standardized mathematics tests following their school’s participation in the professional development program. The remaining 7 principals achieved moderate success from participation in the same. General findings suggest that principals who pursue a learning-centered leadership model (combining both instructional and transformational leadership efforts) achieve greater success while implementing professional development programs. Specific findings identified that principals who define success in terms of improving student performance were more likely to achieve higher student achievement on mathematics standardized tests versus those principals who define a metric of success as stronger teacher development. Additionally, it was determined that vision statements expressed with brevity and a singular goal were more effective at influencing student achievement than more complex, multi-faceted visions. Finally, efforts taken to involve staff in decision making and encourage teacher development through supportive means were more successful at achieving higher levels of student performance. These findings can inform principals and other school leaders on how to more effectively implement professional development programs.

In this doctoral study I conceptualise shared values in order to explore a management problem from my work place environment. I observe that business-to-business (B2B) relationships between project managers and self-employed consulting engineers terminate; project managers switching to other vendors and self-employed consulting engineers losing their contract. The findings from the doctoral study show major influence of the shared values in managing project based professional relationships. Specifically, the elements of B2B professional relationships “commitment” and “trust” embedded in relationship performance show managerial implications. Furthermore, the literature review revealed a lack of qualitative knowledge in the research domain of B2B relationships. Hence, the findings from the doctoral study fill this gap and contribute to the academic knowledge by providing practise based qualitative evidence.This doctoral study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, building on previous research articles, six elements of B2B professional relationships were refined and tested through qualitative interviews in order to explore their relevance in the B2B professional relationship between the project managers and self-employed consulting engineers. As a result from the first phase, a conceptual model of shared values was developed. In the second phase, the conceptual model of the shared values developed from the first phase was explored and validated through the experience of the project managers and self-employed consulting engineers.

This thesis is a qualitative research study examining views of faculty at Brigham Young University regarding professional development at the university level. Subjects who participated in the study were selected based on being full-time, part-time, adjunct, tenured, and non-tenured professors at Brigham Young University. Instructors who work solely with online students were not included. The contacts also did not include student teachers, support staff, non-teaching faculty or graduate students.The key findings from the qualitative research study report that faculty differentiate between two categories of professional development, one concerned with teaching and other aspects of working at a university, and the other is the development and continuing training in their original field or specialty. Additionally, the research shows that while time is the most commonly cited reason for not attending professional development, it is possible to potentially offer incentives to overcome that barrier to attendance. Professional development activities that are created in an informal manner and are more localized to smaller units within the university-a college, a department, even a subset of a department-seem to be more meaningful to faculty than traditional formally organized professional development by the university. The overall conclusion from this qualitative research study is that professional development activities should be more flexible and adaptive to the maturation of needs of the intended participants. The current initial professional development at Brigham Young University is viewed positively as being very helpful; however, the longer faculty stay at the university the more they seek out informal professional development focused on specific issues for which they are not finding assistance. The implication of this study is when universities focus on initial professional development for new faculty often professional development opportunities for mid-career faculty are not emphasized or arranged. Ways to address this gap may include specifically labeling activities like seminars as professional development and then increasing resources devoted to them or giving faculty an allowance per person per year and allowing them to choose how to invest that allowance-either in more training within the teaching profession or within their specific discipline.