Focusing on teacher learning, this study follows fifteen teachers in the crux of comprehensive school reform. These "regular" classroom teachers are the ubiquitous players of this theatre of school reform. "Regular" teacher is defined as a typical classroom teacher who is not actively involved in the district's school reform project or one who hasn't taken an active leadership role. The teachers in this study work in the challenging environment of a poor, diverse urban school district that was in its third year of a comprehensive school reform program, the Accelerated Schools Project. Fifteen teachers volunteered to take part in a teaching laboratory where they met, planned, taught, assessed and reflected on their practice. The study tells, analyzes and speculates about their journey. The Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) is a national comprehensive school improvement model that provides professional development to schools. The study described the experiences of regular classroom teachers who engaged in a yearlong professional development program that is part of the ASP service to schools. This study employs qualitative research methods in a multiple case study analysis. By examining the teaching practices of regular classroom teachers who are often depicted as "closing the door" to the outside influences of school, district, state or federal policy, the study seeks to fully understand the planning, teaching, assessing and reflecting of classroom teachers who are caught in the center of school reform. The key findings of this study suggest teacher practice for all teacher cohorts (novice, mid-career and veteran) was influenced by participation in the Powerful Learning Laboratory. Each aspect of teaching (planning, teaching, assessing and reflection) was influenced, with differing emphasis by each cohort. The findings suggest the Powerful Learning Lab is a positive professional development experience for teachers, and that teacher learning labs should remain an integral part of the Accelerated Schools Project.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not The Basic Communication Skills Program, a consultant developed and staff determined writing program, still had an impact on all program participants two years after its completion. The secondary aim of the study was to describe the strengths and weaknesses of the consultant developed and staff determined approach. The approach involved a consultant training teams of principals and teachers from sixteen elementary schools in the writing and writing instructional processes. The teams then determined a program for their staffs.There were four components of the study: team teacher surveys, principal surveys, interviews of school teams and professional consultants' surveys on inservice methods. Responses on surveys were tallied, percentages calculated, and interviewees responses categorized to verify assumptionsFindings1. More than half of the team teachers frequently or sometimes continued to use the writing program's ideas in their classrooms.2. Approximately half of the teachers affected by the team used the program ideas frequently or sometimes in their classrooms in the judgment of the team members.3. Sixty-three percent of the team teachers responded that their staff could not have developed a writing program without the assistance of a consultant, and eighty-six percent of the principals agreed.4. Professional consultants did not agree with team teachers and principals on the necessity of a consultant in helping a school to develop a writing program.Conclusions1. The use of a consultant to inform teachers and principals before they design their writing programs is beneficial.2. The consultant developed and staff determined approach can have a continuing impact on school teams and nearly half of their staffs.3. More than a team of a principal and two teachers from a school needs to participate in training sessions conducted by a consultant in order to have a continuing impact on the entire staff.

The purpose of the study was to compare the perceptions of professors of teacher education, building level administrators, and elementary classroom teachers regarding the need for specific areas of inservice training for elementary teachers. Using the Teacher Needs Assessment Survey, perceived needs of elementary teachers were obtained from 208 elementary teachers, 35 administrators, and 66 professors.The following null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance:1. No significant difference exists among the perceptions of professors of teacher education, building level administrators, and elementary classroom teachers regarding teacher inservice needs as measured by items included in Developing Pupil Self (DPS), Individualizing Instruction (II), Discipline (DISC), Diagnosing Learning Difficulties (DLD), Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK), and Gifted and Talented (GT) categories of the Teacher Needs Assessment Survey2. No significant multivariate interaction exists between the level of teacher assignment and the years of teaching experience3. No significant difference exists in the inservice perceptions of teachers with one to five years of teaching experience, six to ten years of experience, and over ten years of experience as measured by the inservice categories of Developing Pupil Self (DPS), Individualizing Instruction (II), Discipline (DISC), Diagnosing Learning Difficulties (DLD), Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK), and Gifted and Talented (GT) categories of the Teacher Needs Assessment Survey4. No significant difference exists in the inservice perceptions of teachers assigned to primary and intermediate classrooms as measured by the DPS, II, DISC, DLD, SMK,and GT categories of the Teacher Needs Assessment SurveyA one-MANOVA was used to test hypothesis one. The Scheffe post hoc procedure was used to make pair-wise comparisons of the educator groups for the outcome measures determined to contribute to the rejection of hypothesis one. Hypothesis two was tested using a 3 X 2 MANOVA. Hypotheses three and four were tested based upon the non-rejection of hypothesis two.Hypothesis one was rejected: professors perceived the need for teacher inservice training in all selected areas as greater than did teachers. Hypothesis two was not rejected. Tests of associated main effects indicated that no significant difference existed between years of teaching experience and level of assignment.Suggestions for future research include: assessing parent perceptions of teacher inservice needs and investigating the influences on teacher perceptions of inservice needs.

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

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The purpose of this action research study was to explore how three Grade 9 teachers developed their understanding and practice of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) through the use of a participant-designed intervention. ESD may be simply understood as a concept that describes all educational activities concerned with developing an understanding of the relationships that exist among the issues of SD. ESD and SD are terms that hold many meanings. It is no wonder that teachers find it difficult to bridge their understanding and practice. Literature supports these ideas and also notes that the lack of awareness that teachers have about ESD is due to the poor attention it is given in school policy. This study suggests that self-directed professional development could address such a shortfall in schools. The action research study involved four steps of reconnaissanceplanning- action-reflection. These steps unfolded within three phases of development, namely: the pre-intervention phase, the intervention phase and the post-intervention phase. The ESD principles were used to identify the teachers’ understanding and practice of ESD during the pre- and post-intervention phases. During the intervention phase teachers as coresearchers were then responsible for designing an intervention that they thought would help develop their understanding and practice of ESD. This study was seen to employ coengaged professional development. The findings of this research served to inform teachers, ESD promoters, resource development workers and relevant UNESCO officials of the challenges and experiences facing teachers attempting to understand and practice a meaningful and much needed ESD. The findings also served to reveal the benefit that engaging teachers in action research and professional development has on teacher professional development. Findings suggest that teachers require certain conditions in order to engage in professional development. These conditions include: (1) Collaborative meetings in a neutral context within the framework of action research; (2) Verbal communication and sharing of ideas; (3) Sharing of resources and local media; (4) Opportunities for reflection; and (5) An outside facilitator. Teachers showed a great sense of empowerment as they displayed evidence of teacher efficacy. This research concludes that action research, reflective practice and self-directed professional development offer modes for ESD implementation that is empowering for teacher professional development. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.