The purpose of this study was to examine the events, processes, perceptions and changes that occurred as an elementary school faculty and a university faculty collaborated in a partnership formed by the creation of a Professional Development Academy (PDA). The study described how an elementary school faculty and a university faculty collaborated as they implemented a PDA. Research questions were: (1) What contributing factors led to the school and university faculties' collaboration during the first three years of the pilot PDA, 1993-1996? (2) How did the school and university faculties collaborate for change during the first three years of the pilot PDA? (3) As a result of collaboration between the school and university faculties during the first three years of the pilot PDA, what changes occurred at the school and university? A descriptive case study approach was used to explore behaviors within these groups during the three pilot years of the PDA. The study included interviews, and a review of documents and artifacts. Four classroom teachers were randomly selected from the elementary school, four professors were selected from the university and two administrators: one from the school and one from the university, were interviewed. Responses from the interviewees were initially categorized into Kagan's (1991) six categories of collaboration and into three sections: before the PDA began, during the three years of the PDA, and reflections at the end of the three pilot years of the PDA. Kagan's categories for collaboration are: formation, conceptualization, development, implementation, evaluation, and termination/reformation stages. Documentation from the participants and PDA files were analyzed. Six factors were found to contribute to collaboration between faculties: a wish to know the other colleagues personally; maintenance of "we're in this together" attitude; willingness to accept additional responsibilities; investment in making the PDA work; discovery of opportunities for leadership and input; and synergy between coordinators and administrators. There was evidence that collaboration occurred because of a welcoming and supportive climate; open communication; active involvement by both faculties; validation of teachers and professors; and support for goals and recommendations. / Ed. D.

No description available.

No description available.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine education journal reading habits of public elementary school teachers in grades kindergarten through six in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties in California. Problem. The study was designed to answer the following research questions: To what extent do teachers read education journals; what influences teachers to read education journals; what discourages teachers from reading education journals; what is the teacher's perception of the value or importance of reading education journals; to what extent and in which areas do the teachers use information obtained from reading education journals to make changes in their classrooms; what strategies can an administrator use with teachers to increase journal reading; and what, if any, is the relationship between gender, age, educational degree, size of school, and size of district with respect to the reading habits of teachers. Procedures. Six hundred and fifty teachers from fifty-eight elementary schools in grades kindergarten through six responded to a thirteen item questionnaire related to education journal reading. Frequencies and percentages with means and standard deviations for descriptive statistics were used. The.01 level of significance was used. Findings were reported on sixteen tables. Findings. The data revealed that teachers prefer reading education journals which contain practical and useful information. Principals were identified as having the greatest influence to encourage teachers to read education journals. The factor which most often encouraged teachers to read journal articles was the usefulness of the information. Teachers reported that the greatest value derived from journal reading was to keep updated on current education issues. It was found that journal reading had the greatest influence on language arts instruction. Some significance was found in the demographic data with reading habits of teachers. Recommendations. From the findings, five suggestions for further research are provided dealing with topics related to the utilization of journal articles in the classroom, the classroom change process, and the use of journal reading in teacher college preparation programs. Nine recommendations are made on techniques principals can use to increase journal reading by teachers.

Effective professional development offers opportunities for teachers to reflect on their practices, modify and implement changes in the classroom, and eventually impact students? learning. However, professional development must be evaluated to determine whether the desired results are actually occurring in the classroom. The Program for Research and Evaluation for Public Schools, Inc. (PREPS) created a Biology I Workshop series to assist school districts in Mississippi in aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment that will ultimately improve student achievement in the classroom and performance on the current high-stakes test. This study evaluated the PREPS Biology I Subject Area workshops by using Thomas Guskey?s evaluation model as a guide for the process. This study used a mixed-method design and collected data from three primary sources: the PREPS Final Evaluation Form completed at the conclusion of workshops, a questionnaire created by the researcher, and interviews with six-case study teacher participants selected from the results of the questionnaire. According to the ratings and comments written on the two instruments and supporting evidence from the case-study teachers, the participants of the Biology I workshop found the workshops to be effective for all five levels of Guskey?s evaluation model. The content was rated effective because the workshop materials were aligned to the curriculum frameworks and were focused on using student learning to improve student achievement. Working through the activities rather than simply being told about them and having a successful classroom biology teacher as a presenter were the factors that contributed to the increase in the participants? knowledge and skills. Organizational results indicate that the workshop was effective in that the goals of the workshop series aligned with the schools? mission and goals for student learning. Several issues, such as financial support, time for collaboration with peers, and reward opportunity for successful teachers, were rated low in school organizational structures. The results also indicate that the PREPS Biology I workshops had a positive impact on student achievement both in the classroom and on the Mississippi Biology I Subject Area Test for the schools that implemented the teaching units and strategies.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to provide data that could be used to improve staff development in Virginia's Regional Alternative Education Centers. Characteristics of participants and of centers were identified as factors to investigate. The personal characteristics of the participants were age, gender, position, attitude toward staff development, and total years of experience in education. The center characteristics were location, age of center, grade levels served, number of staff employed, number of students served, number of special education students served, budget for staff development, pooling of resources, center leadership, number of certified general education teachers, and number of certified special education teachers. Quality of staff development was measured on the following dimensions: learning environment, time for learning, planning, evaluation, materials, techniques, funding, content, rewards for participation, use of adult learning principles, and transfer of learning. The design was both quantitative and qualitative. A questionnaire was mailed to 99 administrative coordinators, teachers, and counselors in 26 participating regional centers. Quantitative responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and multiple regression. The qualitative phase involved three focus groups with four participants in each group " one administrative coordinator, one counselor, and two teachers. Three centers were chosen at random from three different geographic regions in Virginia " urban, suburban, and rural. Nominal group techniques were used to create a prioritized list of recommendations for staff development at the centers. Factors that best predicted the quality of staff development were the quality of center leadership, attitude toward staff development, and grade levels served. The prioritized lists of strategies from the focus groups included funding for inservice travel, providing training during workday, using teambuilding techniques, working with stakeholders, increasing number of staff employed, and having stakeholders provide timely services. A major implication of the study was that one theory with independent predictor variables did not relate to the quality factors. A more accurate description evolved"a family of theories. The family consists of three separate theories, with each theory identified by the predictor variables that were found to be associated with specific quality variables. / Ed. D.

This study sought to determine if there were statistically significant differences between years of teaching experience and education relative to learning-inhibiting problems in the classroom. These differences were measured by responses on surveys, classroom observations, review of summative teacher appraisal instruments and focus group interviews. A population of 271 middle school teachers of language art, social studies, mathematics and science were selected from one urban school district. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was the statistical analysis procedure utilized to analyze the data. Thirteen null hypotheses were tested at the .05 alpha level. The research failed to reject 12 null hypotheses of no statistically significant difference between years of teaching experience (0-5, 6-12, 13-20, 21+) and education (middle school trained, middle school untrained) and learning-inhibiting problems (chronic talking, refusing request, tardiness, inattentiveness, talking back to teachers) experienced by middle school teachers in the classroom. The only null hypothesis rejected was that no statistically significant difference existed between 0-5 years of teaching experience and the non-instructional strategy (consultation with an administrator) used to prevent learning-inhibiting problems in the classroom. The results of the data analysis revealed that teachers in the 0-5 range of teaching experience preferred consultation with administrators as the strategy for preventing disruptive behavior in the classroom. Upon classroom observation, there was no statistically significant difference between years of teaching experience and the ability to manage a classroom. It was observed that teachers who circulated throughout the classroom while directing instruction and using questioning techniques were better able to manage the classroom and have fewer disruptions than teachers who stood in front of the class or who were seated and directed instruction. Focus group members indicated that many disruptive behaviors can be addressed through appropriate instructional planning and delivery. Therefore, staff development should address a variety of instructional strategies that would prevent and eliminate specific learning-inhibiting problems as chronic talking, tardiness, inattentiveness, refusing request of teachers, and talking back to teachers in the classroom. / Ed. D.

This study was designed to examine the responses of four veteran teachers with 15 or more years of teaching experience as they moved through a beginning technology staff development program. The purpose of the study was to examine what factors have caused some teachers to wait until mid-career to take a beginning course in computer technology, determine what veteran teachers feel are successful computer technology professional development strategies, and to examine the resulting changes that a veteran teacher makes in classroom computer use. The study followed teachers from pre-instruction to instruction to one month after the staff development using interviews, journals and e-mail questionnaires. Taking as a starting point change theory literature, a grounded theory of the Five Universes that influence veteran teachers was defined. The study concluded with eight recommendations for future technology staff development programs for veteran teachers.