| Summary: | The value of study groups as part of teachers' professional development is beyond dispute in
the literature (Birchak et al., 1998; Florio-Ruane & Raphael, 2001; Joyce, Murphy, Showers,
& Murphy, 1989). The purpose of this thesis was to examine teacher values in professional
development and to determine whether responses differed between teachers in a literacy
study group and teachers who did not attend the study group. Furthermore, to assist the study
group with its annual feedback and evaluation process, study group members were also asked
to report the extent they perceived each listed characteristic of professional development to
exist in the study group. The findings of the study were based on the results from 45 surveys
completed by study group members (n=26) and comparison group participants (n=19), and
from seven follow-up interviews with study group members.
The survey, a combination of Likert-scale and open-ended questions, and the teacher
interview questions were developed from themes on teacher professional development
represented in the literature. Both instruments were then validated in two stages, including
input from four school district administrators. From participants' responses to the 26 Likert-scale
questions, six categories were developed conceptually and then tested using multiple
correlations and Cronbach alpha tests. The six categories were: Learning Culture, Critical
Inquiry/Application, Career Path, Relevance, Content/Methods, and Peer Learning.
A Repeated Measures ANOVA found that three categories, Learning Culture, Critical
Inquiry/Application, and Career Path, were rated statistically higher than categories
Relevance, Content/Methods, and Peer Learning, for both study and comparison participants. Learning Culture was ranked the highest and Peer Learning the lowest but all
six mean scores ranked above the mid-point score on the Likert scale, which suggests that all
components professional development were important. There were some differences between
study and comparison groups. Study group participants tended to rate Likert items higher,
and an independent t-test showed that study group members ranked the categories Learning
Culture and Career Path statistically higher than comparison group respondents did. === Education, Faculty of === Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of === Graduate
|
|---|
