An alternative model for professional development: investigations into effective collaboration

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Abstract

Historically, teacher professional development has taken place in isolation and has been dependent upon input from outside “experts” (Sandholtz, A companion of direct and indirect professional development activities, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada, 1999). As an alternative, collaborative action research actively involves teachers in professional reflection, validates educators as producers of knowledge, and recognizes their role in professional development and decision making. The value of teacher research is well documented (Cochran–Smith & Lytle, Inside outside: teacher research and knowledge, Teachers College Press, New York, 1993) but unless deliberate attempts to share findings are established, the products of teacher research often remain within individual classrooms. Strategies to develop collaborative research capabilities are needed.

While teacher collaboration may take many forms, action research teaming has become the centerpiece of one urban teacher preparation program. This paper presents quantitative and qualitative data from a study involving a university, school districts, and teacher candidates. Preservice–inservice dyads were taught how to use action research to examine, analyze, and reflect upon their teaching. Results indicate general acceptance by both new and experienced teachers, with developmental differences influencing the process.

Section snippets

An alternative model for professional development: investigations into effective collaboration

The issue of professional development is receiving increased attention, as educators at all levels are realizing the centrality of teachers to school reform and improvement (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 1996). The educational community is searching for alternative ways to actively involve teachers in their own professional development. Collaborative action research, which combines groups of teachers in the design, implementation, and evaluation of action research

Theoretical framework

As a profession, teaching is often described as highly individualistic. Decision making is isolated and problem solving and collaboration with peers limited (Lortie, 1975). When collaboration does take place, it is too often limited to an exchange of daily anecdotes, or discussions of “tricks of the trade” to improve practice (Hargreaves & Daw, 1990). In those instances when teachers do consider change in their practice, they often receive input from outside “experts” through district inservice

Project focus

At the University of Utah formalized professional development linkages between teachers are taking place via collaborative networks between preservice and inservice teachers. By connecting preservice–inservice teams within existing school frameworks such as departmental teams, participants are more likely to continue their professional endeavors beyond the scaffolds provided through their school–university partnerships (Gitlin et al., 1999).

Preservice teachers involved in this study completed a

Research design

The study reported here used both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the process of collaborative action research. The quantitative portion of the design included an exit questionnaire that investigated the value of action research teaming as a method for collaboration, professional development, and as a tool for investigating research. The qualitative data included analyses of course assignments, taped and transcribed transcripts from exit interviews, and transcripts from

Results

Data from the present study are presented in two sections. In the first, quantitative data examine differences in the responses of preservice and inservice teachers to collaborative action research. In the second section, qualitative data are examined in terms of similarities and differences between these two groups.

Summary and implications

Data from this study indicate promise for collaborative research teaming across a number of areas. First, self-reflection was validated for preservice teachers by observing such practices among inservice teachers. Collaborative action research was perceived positively by both preservice and inservice teachers on a number of dimensions including changing teaching practice, changing views about research and as a vehicle to dialogue about research and teaching practice. These finding were

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