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Scaling CPD through professional learning communities: development of teachers’ self-efficacy in relation to collaboration

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Abstract

Whereas much is known about designing effective continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers, little is known about spillover effects of CPD by fostering collegial interactions. In this respect, the self-efficacy expectancy of multipliers to spread CPD issues within their own school is an important predictor for scaling. Self-efficacy can be fostered through various sources within CPD courses, including role-plays and practice phases to test issues. One essential endeavor lies in initiating collaboration in professional learning communities (PLCs). The study discussed here focuses on two courses explicitly supporting multipliers to actively engage in PLCs. In a pre/post-design, participants’ development of self-efficacy was measured in relation to collaboration, and compared with that of a control group. As instrument we applied an adapted version of the self-efficacy scale by Schwarzer and Jerusalem (Skalen zur Erfassung von Lehrer- und Schülermerkmalen, (1999), which yielded a high internal reliability (Cr alpha = 0.950). Our results point to different developments within the two specific CPD courses, with one course featuring a significant development of middle size effect (d = 0.31). In addition, developments were found to differ with respect to the duration of the CPD course.

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Notes

  1. Primary schools in the German state of Berlin where this study took place cover grades 1 through 6.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Jochen Weißenrieder, Bettina Roesken-Winter, Sven Schueler & Elke Binner

  2. Center for Educational Measurement at the University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Sigrid Blömeke

Authors
  1. Jochen Weißenrieder
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  2. Bettina Roesken-Winter
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  3. Sven Schueler
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  4. Elke Binner
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  5. Sigrid Blömeke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jochen Weißenrieder.

Appendix

Appendix

I am sure that

  1. (a)

    … I am able to prepare, structure and present even difficult topics for my colleagues.

  2. (b)

    … I am able to choose suitable teaching and learning methods for a heterogeneous group of colleagues.

  3. (c)

    … I am able to develop a variation of assignments for complex tasks on which colleagues can work together.

  4. (d)

    … I am able to produce teaching materials for my colleagues, even when different levels of difficulty should be included

  5. (e)

    … I am able to prepare difficult aspects of a topic in way that colleagues will achieve knowledge and competences

  6. (f)

    … I am able to identify needs of very different colleagues.

  7. (g)

    … I am able to identify content-related and process-orientated preconditions of very different colleagues.

  8. (h)

    … I am able to spontaneously choose tasks and learning material, to clarify content for colleagues.

  9. (i)

    … I am able to adapt tasks and learning material to colleagues’ needs and preconditions even when they are very heterogeneous.

  10. (j)

    … I am able to maintain a good learning and working atmosphere within a group, even if conflicts may arise.

  11. (k)

    … I am able to convince and inspire even very skeptical colleagues of new approaches.

  12. (l)

    … I am able to pick up experience-based contributions of colleagues and make them accessible for the group, even in heated discussions.

  13. (m)

    … I am able to formulate that kind of questions that will get even unreflective colleagues to reflect on their teaching habits.

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Weißenrieder, J., Roesken-Winter, B., Schueler, S. et al. Scaling CPD through professional learning communities: development of teachers’ self-efficacy in relation to collaboration. ZDM Mathematics Education 47, 27–38 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0673-8

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