When a school experiences a sudden change in demographics the impact can be difficult to comprehend. Effective professional development is essential in order for teachers to comprehend the changes and facilitate school improvement. This research explores the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of middle class teachers in a town which experienced a dramatic shift in the demographics of students; many middle class students left the school and many students who qualified for free and reduced lunch moved in. The teachers who experienced this demographic shift struggled to understand the changes developing in their school. In order to develop knowledge of the frameworks of poverty, the teachers participated in a two-year professional development process known as professional learning communities (PLC). The first year of PLC training concentrated on the frameworks of poverty and the second year of the research study concentrated on improving instruction. Throughout the two-year case study, a triangulation approach of consisting of interviews, observations, and document analysis was utilized to determine what changes occurred in the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of teachers. The findings of the research study determined that while the perception of poverty was relatively quick to change, developing a change in the attitudes and behaviors of teachers took much longer. Changes in teacher attitude and behavior to poverty were evident in the second year of the PLC process. The findings of the research study also determined that the PLC process provided a sustained format of professional development that allowed experienced teachers the opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other. Based on the findings of this study, a recommendation was made that the PLC process be considered as a viable professional development tool to train teachers on the impact and frameworks of poverty due to the detrimental impact poverty has on student achievement. Through a sustained effort in training, the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of teachers can be changed to identify and meet the needs of students. It is the recommendation of this study that the PLC process be used to change how teachers teach students of poverty.

Submitted by Noeme Timbo (noeme.timbo@metodista.br) on 2018-01-08T17:53:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MaraPavanil.pdf: 1451070 bytes, checksum: 7f8142a34317e314faf5ff557674e547 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-08T17:53:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MaraPavanil.pdf: 1451070 bytes, checksum: 7f8142a34317e314faf5ff557674e547 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-22 / Taking into account one of the most intriguing reflections prompted by the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, regarding the organic intellectual, this thesis questions if the teacher proletarianisation is associated with middle class organic intellectuals and focuses on how teachers react to the idea of picturing themselves as middle class intellectuals. Based on teachers’ ideological concepts, emerging from their working conditions and their presence in unions, the research gains ground with Gramsci’s concepts, from the perspective of a number of authors, namely Jean-Marc Piotte (1972), Hugues Portelli (1977), Christinne Buci-Glucksmann (1980), apart from some discussions related to the middle class, merited by Decio Saes (1977; 1980; 1984). The research sheds light on Gramscian concepts which pave the way for the teacher seen as an organic intellectual. It also highlights a study about the Brazilian middle-class formation in order to outline the teacher within the frame of a class, through documental analysis and interviews with union leaders. In the light of the present research, it is not viable to identify the teacher as a labor class organic intellectual, given the middle class ideological concepts underlying teachers’ social background / Considerando uma das mais instigantes reflexões realizadas pelo marxista italiano Antônio Gramsci acerca do intelectual orgânico, esta tese analisa se a ideia de proletarização do professor transforma-o em intelectual orgânico da classe trabalhadora e investiga como os professores reagem à ideia de se reconhecerem como intelectuais da classe média. Objetivando discutir as concepções ideológicas dos professores a partir das reflexões sobre a sua situação de trabalho e suas formas de atuação nos sindicatos, a investigação fundamenta-se nas análises sobre os conceitos de Gramsci feitas por alguns autores, entre eles, Jean-Marc Piotte (1972), Hugues Portelli (1977), Christinne Buci-Glucksmann (1980), além das análises e discussões relativas à classe média realizadas por Decio Saes (1977; 1980; 1984). A pesquisa inicia com uma abordagem dos conceitos gramscianos que subsidiam as análises posteriores sobre a ideia do professor como intelectual orgânico. Apresenta, também, um estudo da formação da classe média brasileira a fim de localizar aí a classe dos professores, investigando a presença de concepções ideológicas de classe média nos professores, a partir da análise de jornais e documentos, bem como de entrevistas com lideranças sindicais. Foi possível inferir, a partir dos estudos realizados, o não reconhecimento do professor como intelectual orgânico da classe trabalhadora, dadas as concepções ideológicas de classe média que permeiam o ideário dos professores