Participation in inservice training is one way in which teachers and other educational professionals learn and update the skills that they bring to the instructional process. Unfortunately, little descriptive or empirical research has been conducted that specifically examines the training professional who provides the training. This study had three main goals: to provide a window on the strategies that trainers use when they plan for workshop delivery; to examine the differences between expert and non-expert teacher trainers using an information processing perspective grounded in the research on cognitive psychology, expertise, and teaching; and finally, to provide an in-depth look at how expert trainers plan for workshops. The study had two parts. First, a workshop planning strategy questionnaire and demographic survey were administered to 78 training professionals attached to 16 federally funded regional training centers. Next, think aloud interviews were conducted with 3 trainers who had been identified as training experts by their peers. Exploratory data analyses revealed that trainers consider training expertise to be a function of three dimensions: knowledge of content, social affective skills and planning/organizational abilities. Exploratory analyses also showed that both experts and non-experts report using a wide variety of strategies when planning for workshops, although the least frequently reported strategies were rehearsal strategies (scripting and practicing what to say and do). Both experts and non-experts reported using strategies consistently in familiar and unfamiliar settings. A Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA showed that were no significant differences between the groups of trainers in the reported use of metacognitive strategies. However, expert trainers report extensive metacognitive strategy use (particularly planning and self-monitoring strategies) during the think aloud interviews. Two additional Kruskal-Wallis ANOVAs revealed that neither previous coursework on teaching methodology and training nor previous classroom teaching experience (except at grades 4-5) showed any significant effects with respect to trainers’ categorization as experts. Experts, however, appear to be able to use their previous experiences and knowledge in a way which helps them become experts. The study concludes with implications for training development programs and implication for preparing and developing teacher trainers. / Ed. D.

The educational reform movement of the 1980's has called for a restructuring of our nation's public schools. The effective schools research and reform literature, such as the Carnegie Report (1986), suggest that collegiality offers teachers and administrators the opportunity to improve the structure of our nation's schools. Collegiality encourages intellectual sharing which promotes professionalism, consensus and unity among a school staff. Peer coaching is recognized as one way teachers are provided opportunities to work in a collegial setting. The peer coaching model requires that teachers be provided with (a) theory, (b) practice in observation skills, (c) practice with notetaking as a source of data collection, (d) practice in giving specific feedback from the notes during an observation and (e) practice in observing videotaped teaching episodes. An important contribution of the peer coaching model is that it allows teachers the opportunity to observe and learn from each other. Therefore, if teachers are to benefit from the peer coaching model, they must be able to provide feedback to their peers that is both useful and accurate. Hall (1988) implied that the peer coaching teachers in her study needed more training in feedback skills in order to provide useful feedback to their peers. However, to date, there is no empirical evidence to support Hall's assumption. Furthermore, if the peer coaching model is to be successfully implemented and positively affect teacher behavior, then staff development personnel need information to address selected variables which may be impeding feedback in the peer coaching model. Therefore, the researcher of this dissertation conducted an investigative social research study in order to provide an objective assessment of peer coaching feedback and then to investigate selected variables that may be impeding that feedback. In order to provide this information, the researcher conducted her study in a large suburban public school system that had implemented peer coaching for a three year period. A select group of 54 teachers, who had been trained in mentoring and peer coaching skills, participated in telephone interviews, "scripting," feedback commentaries and a questionnaire in order to provide the data needed for the study. / Ed. D.

This study proposes to show the progress made in the in-service education program of Johnson County and to determine the effectiveness of its newly adopted in-service program.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This naturalistic case study documents a year long Teacher Professional Development Program (TPDP) initiated by an elementary school staff in British Columbia. The TPDP was designed to enable the teachers to meet their objective of making science instruction more frequent, more active, and more student-centered in all classrooms in the school. This case study addresses two research questions: 1. What attributes of the Teacher Professional Development Program supported the school's "objective" for improved science instruction? 2. How did the outcomes of the Teacher Professional Development Program relate to the achievement of the school's educational objective? The site for the research was a kindergarten - Grade 7 school. A university professor and the researcher were invited to visit the school on a bi-weekly basis during one school year (1993-94) to facilitate a series of science workshops involving the entire teaching staff and to provide classroom support to teachers. Teachers were offered university course credit for their participation. This case study draws on qualitative data including: audio recordings of planning/debriefing sessions, workshop discussions, and interviews with participants; field notes and written observations; a survey of teachers' opinions about the TPDP; and documents relating to the school accreditation process in 1994-95. The results of the study show that teachers, administrators, and parents were satisfied that the school's objective for science instruction was met, and that the TPDP contributed significantly to this outcome. The study identifies TPDP attributes which supported the school's objective with reference to the teachers and their context, the planning process, and the organizational context, that is, the school. This study contributes to our understanding of teacher professional development by examining an alternative to more common approaches to elementary teacher science inservice in British Columbia, which are typically short-term, designed by inservice providers with little input from participants, and removed physically and conceptually from the classroom. Such inservice experiences often lack administrative and collegial support for the teacher who attempts classroom implementation. While this study relates to science, the discussion is relevant to other curriculum areas such as fine arts or physical education.

Despite calls for better training of college composition teachers utilizing computer-assisted writing instruction (CAWI), English departments have only recently begun to systematically address the faculty development needs of these teachers. Other fields such as adult education and staff development have begun applying theory and research to faculty development efforts, but CAWI proponents have yet to attain that depth of study and commitment.By investigating methods and characteristics of CAWI faculty development programs, this study found that academic-year workshops were the most common development activity, although teachers preferred personal, collaborative approaches like mentors, consultants, and discussion groups. These patterns were consistent across types of colleges and universities, indicating general context descriptors like institutional size and mission did not significantly influence or limit faculty development practices. This discrepancy between preferred and offered programs indicates faculty needs are not being met, and offers potential reasons for a lack of satisfaction with CAWI faculty development and administration.Faculty respondents identified adequate time and funding as the most important contributors to the success of CAWI faculty development, noting that faculty support-particularly the personalized attention teachers prefer-is time-intensive and requires extensive commitment from those providing the services. These time concerns reflect staffing patterns: CAWI administrative duties were added to the workload of current departmental administrators just over half of the time, and CAWI support duties were assigned to current administrators over onethird of the time. These support duties were assigned to non-tenure-line personnel over one-quarter of the time, a practice that raises questions about authority and credibility needed to administer faculty development programs.Despite a relative lack of concern among faculty, evaluation and reward systems play an important long-term role in CAWI support. Current structures do not adequately recognize and reward CAWI-related scholarship and service, including faculty development work. Applying Boyer and Glassick's expanded concepts of scholarship might prove useful in improving and professionalizing CAWI faculty development efforts, thereby helping secure scholarly identity for CAWI and its support activities. / Department of English