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The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of professional learning experiences shared by teachers who participated in a professional learning community (PLC) at a New York City high school in the South Bronx. Guided by Hord's PLC characteristics and Bruner's constructivism theories, this phenomenological study addressed the research questions of what PLC practices urban high school teachers employ to support the academic-literacy achievement of their students of low social economic status (SES); the role of administration in the PLC process; and the roles of a shared mission, values, vision, norms, and collaborative knowledge on the functioning of the PLC. Data collected from the 6 PLC teachers included semi-structured individual interviews, observations of PLC meetings over a 2-month period, participating teacher reflective journal entries, and a researcher's log. Manual data analysis consisted of reading raw data multiple times to determine patterns, themes, and relationships. Additionally, concept and descriptive coding approaches facilitated data source analysis. Gerund words and short phrases generated labels and categories that resulted symbolic representation. The results were that the urban high school teachers demonstrated Hord's PLC characteristics and Bruner's constructivism theories within their PLC's practices and principles leading to decision-making and solutions to problems such as improving teachers' literacy practices, students' literacy skills and classroom behavior, and school wide Individualized Educational Plan process. The findings of this study support the engagement of urban high school teachers in self-directed PLC activities that may promote social change by improving literacy instruction and literacy achievement among students of low SES.

The implementation of educational reform in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposes a change agent role on secondary school department heads however the assistance-intensive process is inhibited by the current educational structure. As the concept of teacher empowerment becomes accepted, some department heads have the ability to develop a professional learning community while others are unable to do so. The present study considers the present and ideal role of the department head as a change agent facilitating the implementation of educational reform in the UAE. A sequential mixed method mode of inquiry with two phases was employed. In phase one, department heads were profiled from a self, superior and subordinate perspective and a conceptual framework related to patterns of effective change agent behaviour was developed. Findings show that effective change agent characteristics of department heads included priorities related to change implementation and teacher support, a collaborative leadership style, seven strategies related to a participatory, supportive and facilitative approach and ten skills that motivate, energise and encourage teachers. The identification of two ineffective department heads by teacher informants in phase one provided an opportunity to study the work of effective and ineffective department heads as cases in-depth. Case study findings confirm the conceptual framework because effective heads were rated high for all characteristics identified, while ineffective heads were rated low. All department heads accepted the change agent role unofficially with no additional time release, but effective heads took ownership of the process and empowered teachers while ineffective heads provided assistance on request. Effective heads used interpersonal skills and asserted themselves as technical experts while ineffective heads were passive and were considered to be traditional teachers. Strategies and skills employed by effective heads included resource linking, collaborative problem solving, facilitation, support and administration/organisation while ineffective department heads used resolution giving and providing technical assistance. Time constraints, restrictive school schedules and role ambiguity were identified as major impediments to the change agent role of department heads in his study. Nevertheless, the new curriculum is being implemented in all of the departments studied verifying that the department head is an untapped resource in the change process. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Education Management)

The implementation of educational reform in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposes a change agent role on secondary school department heads however the assistance-intensive process is inhibited by the current educational structure. As the concept of teacher empowerment becomes accepted, some department heads have the ability to develop a professional learning community while others are unable to do so. The present study considers the present and ideal role of the department head as a change agent facilitating the implementation of educational reform in the UAE. A sequential mixed method mode of inquiry with two phases was employed. In phase one, department heads were profiled from a self, superior and subordinate perspective and a conceptual framework related to patterns of effective change agent behaviour was developed. Findings show that effective change agent characteristics of department heads included priorities related to change implementation and teacher support, a collaborative leadership style, seven strategies related to a participatory, supportive and facilitative approach and ten skills that motivate, energise and encourage teachers. The identification of two ineffective department heads by teacher informants in phase one provided an opportunity to study the work of effective and ineffective department heads as cases in-depth. Case study findings confirm the conceptual framework because effective heads were rated high for all characteristics identified, while ineffective heads were rated low. All department heads accepted the change agent role unofficially with no additional time release, but effective heads took ownership of the process and empowered teachers while ineffective heads provided assistance on request. Effective heads used interpersonal skills and asserted themselves as technical experts while ineffective heads were passive and were considered to be traditional teachers. Strategies and skills employed by effective heads included resource linking, collaborative problem solving, facilitation, support and administration/organisation while ineffective department heads used resolution giving and providing technical assistance. Time constraints, restrictive school schedules and role ambiguity were identified as major impediments to the change agent role of department heads in his study. Nevertheless, the new curriculum is being implemented in all of the departments studied verifying that the department head is an untapped resource in the change process. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Education Management)

An examination of the research regarding the problems associated with student academic writing indicated that two abilities, writing abilities and information literacy skills, intersect, and that an accepted term for this intersection is information literacy. The University of Central Florida’s Information Fluency Initiative recognized information literacy as a key component in developing students’ information fluency skills. This qualitative case study of the initiative used semi-structured interviews, study of documents, and observations to gather data in order to describe how the university planned, developed, and implemented the initiative. Study of relevant literature, narrative analysis (Tierney & Lincoln, 1997), inductive analysis (Hatch, 2002) and the elements of educational criticism (Eisner, 1998) informed the analysis of data. Participants in the Information Fluency Initiative identified as successful the creation of online information literacy modules by librarians and faculty, program-wide efforts to embed information fluency into curriculum, and individual faculty projects. Additionally, the initiative encouraged a scholarly approach to the study of information fluency with the implementation of an annual Information Fluency Conference held at the University of Central Florida and publication of a peer-reviewed Information Fluency Journal. Results from the study suggested that administrative support for the initiative and the leadership’s empowerment of faculty and librarians to undertake leadership roles were important factors in the initiative’s success. Results also suggested that collaboration between faculty, librarians, and instructional technologists to construct curriculum produced a professional learning community that proved valuable to participants both professionally and personally.