This case study documented a staff development program which was the major component of a public school/university partnership between Portland State University and the Lake Oswego School District, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. A select group of 34 Lake Oswego teachers and 4 administrators participated in the Joint Ventures in Instructional Leadership Program which included classes in learning and instructional theory, techniques of peer sharing, instructional strategies and models of teaching, and approaches to the teaching of higher order thinking skills. The program included 7 full days and 4 evenings of instructional training which occurred throughout the 1986-87 school year.
The purpose of the study was to examine the professional growth process of teachers participating in the Joint Ventures Program and determine what effects the program had on instructional decision making and teaching practices. The study provides a full description of the program including: its background; assumptions, goals, and objectives; the selection process and characteristics of teacher participants; the planning process; and the program's content and activities. In addition, the study addresses the following questions: How did teachers perceive their professional growth experience? Did participation in the program bring about any changes in how teachers made instructional decisions? What skills and strategies, acquired through program participation, did teachers use and incorporate into their normal repertoire of teaching practices?
Participant observation was the primary method of data collection used in this study. Other data collection techniques including interviews, questionnaires, video tapes, and documentation were also employed to provide multiple sources of evidence, thereby increasing construct validity of the study. These observational data were integrated and assembled into a chronological, narrative record of events, resulting in a descriptive account of the staff development process as experienced by Joint Ventures Program participants.
The results of this case study indicated that the Joint Ventures Program was effective in promoting desired changes in teachers' approaches to instructional decision making and classroom practices. Several factors were found to influence these changes including a norm of collegiality, School District support, and an ongoing planning process based on participant feedback. The workshop instructor, teacher training activities, and program scheduling also affected the outcomes of the program. Joint Ventures Program participants viewed their overall professional growth experience in a very positive light.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-2257 |
| Date | 01 January 1989 |
| Creators | Jones, Christene Kay |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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