The purpose of this study was to compare the employment retention and mobility patterns of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s fifth year post-baccalaureate intern program completers with those of the alternative C licensure program participants employed between 2001 and 2005 in Tennessee public schools. A comparison of program groups was conducted from the perspective of attrition, as well as mobility, and how this related to teacher preparation variables including grade point average, Praxis scores, and program type. Attrition was measured for each year as the number and percentage of each group or cohort not returning the following year to teach in a Tennessee public school and was disaggregated by and program type. A multi-year attrition rate for each program type group was also calculated for three and five year periods. The Socio Economic Status (SES) of initial and final school placements was analyzed and compared to determine the number and percentage of each cohort working in low socio-economic schools (as defined by the Title I participation/designation). Data related to school placement were also utilized to determine the number and percentage of those who transferred to or away from low socio-economic schools.

The purpose of this study was to understand how effective the Guskey professional development evaluation model would be in a community college setting and determine how well the model serves the needs of the key college stakeholders. The study used the Guskey model to evaluate a professional development activity at a community college. The need for this type of research is evident in the current limitations of formal assessment of professional development activities at the community college. Accordingly, this study sought to determine the effectiveness of the Guskey’s evaluation model of professional development training from a broader perspective, including participants reactions, determining if the training met the target goals, resulted in administrative support for the training and subsequent implementation, and finally assessing to what extent the training was transferred to the classroom setting. Data were gathered through seven different instruments: professional development training evaluations, semi-structured interviews with participants and administration, engagement survey results, review of policy and procedures, classroom observations and embedded assessment. Data were analyzed through statistical and qualitative methods. The data analyses revealed the training was effective on all five evaluation levels identified by Guskey. The model provided a systematic approach to evaluation; beginning with training and ending with improvement of student learning. A report generated from the data served as a basis for an assessment report for community college stakeholders. The report provided appropriate data to make informed decisions. The knowledge gained in this study will add to the professional development assessment literature and will contribute to the culture of assessment in the community college setting.

Due to the pervasiveness of technology, the role and preparation of teachers as they strategically use technology for teaching mathematics needs to be examined. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is a framework for knowledge as teachers develop meaningful learning experiences for their students while integrating strategic use of technology (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). The purpose of this study was to develop a survey for measuring mathematics teachers’ Mathematical Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (M-TPACK). The survey measures the domains of mathematics content, pedagogy and technology. This mixed methods study first examined middle school mathematics teachers’ TPACK through the use of an existing survey (Schmidt et al., 2009). Interviews were conducted to determine the availability and use of technology in middle school mathematics classrooms, and teachers’ strategic use of available technology for mathematics instruction. Finally, a survey measuring M-TPACK was developed to specifically measure teachers’ mathematical TPACK. Grandegenett (2008) asks for more concentration on helping teachers to imagine “possibilities” for using various approaches and strategies for integrating technology in mathematics instruction. This study presents important findings and supports the need for mathematics teachers’ professional development to reconceptualize the role of technology in mathematics instruction. By using the developed M-TPACK Survey, teacher educators and administers can use information about teachers’ knowledge and beliefs concerning technology to enhance teacher education programs and plan professional development. The survey developed from this study can be used for stakeholders as they determine the needs of mathematics teachers, move the concept of TPACK beyond theory and toward practice, and move toward offering appropriate technology experiences to enhance strategic mathematics instruction.

Representations of mathematical ideas serve as a foundation for understanding mathematical concepts. Using and translating among a variety of representations promotes deep conceptual understanding and connections between mathematics topics, in addition to providing contexts for more advanced mathematics concepts. The importance placed on mathematical representations led to an examination of sixth grade middle school mathematics textbooks’ representation of fraction concepts. The chapters included in this thesis represent a portion of the work completed during the examination and an example of how representations of fractions can impact topics in secondary mathematics.

This qualitative study investigated the urgent need for business and public schools to design a comprehensive system for preparing all students for a technological workplace, while giving them the necessary academic foundation for functioning effectively in a work environment. Businesses and communities need to participate with schools, regardless of where the schools are located. Schools, businesses and communities must explore and work together to create new methods for supporting technology in schools and in the workplace. The interviewees who participated in the study consisted of 21 teachers and administrators from four high schools located within four districts in San Antonio, Texas. Two of the high schools were located in southern San Antonio and were classified as lower socioeconomic institutions. The other two high schools were located in northern San Antonio and were classified as upper socioeconomic institutions. Also, seven business leaders were interviewed from (1) grocery, (2) San Antonio city government, (3) military, (4) large retail chain, (5) technology organization and business, (6) telecommunications, and (7) a youth-oriented organization. The major conclusions of the study were that businesses believe that a skill-deficient workplace hampers economic growth and productivity, and a knowledge-deficient high school graduate limits his or her opportunities for an extended academic experience. Few businesses in San Antonio supported or contributed to technology competencies in the selected schools in San Antonio by participating in curriculum development or as partnerships within the schools. All teachers had a high level of understanding about the importance of technology competencies for students. Furthermore, they believed that teachers and administrators must have a well-organized and fluid technology training program that will help integration of technology into the curriculum. Schools within the lower socioeconomic classification did not have many opportunities for training or access to technology; therefore, the teachers did not have the opportunity for building their competencies. In comparison, the schools located in northern San Antonio had more than adequate opportunities for training and access to technology. Educational, business, and community organizations must be concerned with all aspects of student learning and their ability to utilize technology. It is not enough to supply hardware and software to schools.

This paper reports on a research project in which a group of teachers in a pre-school teacher education programme based at a “satellite” study centre in a distant rural area used a student-centred learning approach as a means to bridge the distance in the social relationship. A qualitative approach was taken that aimed to develop a greater understanding of the teacher-student relationship through research questions addressing the student role, the learning process and the assessment process. A didactical design for process-based assessment was developed and structured into three phases involving questions about the students’ previous knowledge, reflections and learning. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. The material was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The underpinning principles of power and control were helpful for understanding the social relations in the teacher-student relationship in this online context. The results indicate a conflict between the student-centred curriculum and traditional beliefs in the teacher-student relationship.

Abstract: This is a case study of a mathematics professional learning community. It illustrates the experience of eight Grade 2 teachers as they collaborate to improve their students'understanding of mathematics. In this inquiry, I worked as a participant-observer with the teachers over the course of five months as a witness to their expanding understanding of mathematics and learning. The case study describes two manifestations: the experiences of the teachers as they develop their knowledge of the mathematical learning of young children; and secondly, the teachers' growth as a professional learning community committed to improving the mathematical understanding of their students and of themselves. Collectively, the findings from this study extend other conversations on both professional learning communities and the development of teachers' knowledge about mathematical learning (often called pedagogical content knowledge). This work shows that opportunities for professional learning that are self-directed, context and content specific, within a milieu that is collegial and supportive, enable teachers to bridge the elusive gap between theory and practice. The specific questions addressed are as follows: 1. How does participation in a professional learning community affect teachers‘ iii pedagogical content knowledge and their understanding of students‘ learning of mathematics? 2. How do primary teachers develop an effective mathematics professional learning community? In mathematics, professional development often focuses on the creation of effective lesson design. This study differed in some key ways. Although good lesson design was valued and employed, the stimulus for teacher learning was the observation of the students as they struggled with new complex concepts. From these observations, the teachers became astute at recognizing particular consistencies and inconsistencies in the mathematical learning of the one hundred plus students they each observed within this project. Together, as a professional learning community, the teachers became adept at using external resources such as research and other resource materials to search the reasons and solutions for students‘ difficulty with mathematical concepts. Teachers' cognitive dissonance as they tried new instructional approaches and shared successes and failures with their colleagues provided the foundation for their growth in pedagogical content knowledge.

This qualitative study explores six English teachers’ perceptions regarding teaching collaboration. In open-ended interviews, the teachers responded to questions regarding the extent to which they were able to engage in meaningful collaboration. The study’s focus was to gain insight on the most valuable dimensions of informal and formal collaborative activities. The outcome of the study indicated that although many teachers engage in self-motivated collaborative activities, they wished to build on their experiences in different ways, incorporating more formal activities and professional development opportunities. Peer observations, feedback and discussions were found to be effective means of increasing teachers’ repertoire of teaching skills. The teachers in this study perceived collaboration as a positive and productive dimension of both teaching and learning. A broader implication of the study’s results is that these teachers’ perceptions reflected a bottom-up approach to school development addressing teachers’ actual concerns, rather than a top-down approach as imposed by the school administration.

Many researchers have been critical of teachers failure to implement computer use effectively in the classroom. In order to question the role that pedagogical issues may play in the success of the implementation process, this study looks at the beliefs of professional developers who are responsible for helping K-12 teachers learn to teach with computers. Five professional developers from Saskatchewan were asked to describe their professional practice by focusing on what they thought effective use of computers was and how they thought their beliefs affected their practice. The heart of the study was the story of the professional developers experiences and the way in which their practices evolved over time to meet needs they saw.<p>The professional developers were a diverse group of former teachers. They had taught in a wide variety of settings and for varied lengths of time. They were purposefully selected for involvement in provincial initiatives and providing professional development around computers in their home divisions. The participants shared their experiences through an informal semi-structured interview and follow up questions. The transcripts of the conversations comprised the data, and their examples, statements of belief, and experiences formed the basis for the interpretation of the results.<p>The findings revealed that the professional developers identified both first and second order barriers to the use of computers in classrooms. Each person described a transition from traditional professional development practice to a personal style with the deliberate addition of pedagogical emphasis. They concluded that the current practice of teaching with computers generally did not meet their definition of effective and emphasized the need to question why computers are being used the way they are.<p>The findings from this study indicate that the professional developers believed their pedagogy and practice as professional developers to be intertwined. They also confirmed Cooplas (2004) argument that pedagogy is the critical first element for effective teaching with computers. From the prospective of the participants, pedagogy, not technology defines how effective the process of integration is in K-12 classrooms.

This research is a qualitative case study examining changes in urban Canadian elementary teachers’ conceptualizations of equity and approaches to pedagogy in their mathematics teaching in relation to their involvement in multiple professional learning contexts. The study focuses on four major professional development (PD) efforts in which five focal teachers participated over a school year. Data sources include researcher observations, field notes, video-recordings of PD sessions and classroom mathematics teaching, as well as a series of one-on-one interviews. Data analysis revealed three main ideas related to equity that were adopted by focal teachers: 1) the importance of developing awareness of students and their communities; 2) teaching strategies to scaffold students’ development of mathematical proficiency; and 3) strategies for structuring student-driven, inquiry-based learning for mathematics. The multiple contexts of professional learning presented contradictory messages. Thus, teachers took up some ideas and left others behind and sometimes took up ideas that served conflicting goals of education. Future studies of teacher PD should focus on the teacher’s perspective and the role of any individual PD within the multiple contexts of professional learning in which teachers participate.