Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i52JmT929072; Wed, 2 Jun 2004 15:48:39 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2004 15:48:39 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <p0600201fbce3de0862ea@[192.168.0.100]> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Eunice Askov <ena1@psu.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1458] Re: thinking, acting, and integrated change X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Status: O Content-Length: 6598 Lines: 135 Thanks for the intriguing questions! I'll respond in terms of our recent work with online professional development with credit courses in our Certificate in Family Literacy (www.worldcampus.psu.edu/pub/famlt/). Penn State, in partnership with the National Center for Family Literacy, is offering 5 online courses in family literacy, adult literacy, literacy and parenting education, early literacy development with parental involvement, and adult education through PSU's World Campus. We have been trying to document how the teachers who are students in our courses change. We have used self-report just as the NCSALL study did. It appears that the teachers are sharing quite a bit of their course knowledge with colleagues in their literacy programs. Even though they are not taking the courses as a local group, they are able to implement what they are learning (according to their self-reports). Of course, the very fact that they were willing to sign up for an online course indicates that they are eager to learn and improve their practice. Most of these teachers could be characterized as mid-career--not novices nor veterans. They often have worked in another field before moving into adult and family literacy. Whether or not the change experienced by the teachers in our courses is "integrated, transforming change in practice" is unknown. In order for this type of change to occur, more than learning on the part of the teachers has to occur. Administrative leadership has to encourage the change by implementing policies that support positive change. Change must also be supported in other ways, such as by supplementary pay for extended planning hours. Change has to occur from the bottom up as a result of planning that includes everyone. Unless all the pieces are in place for change, it may be minimal. Perhaps some of the supports to change were not in place in the NCSALL study. I look forward to hearing from others. Nickie Askov, Penn State >Hello everyone! >In the How Teachers Change professional development study, the researchers >looked at teacher change - differences in thinking and acting on and off the >topic - and the factors that influenced change. For the next couple of days, >let's look specifically at how teachers change and in what ways. To start us >off, I have a couple of questions for the group: > >Please take a look at the specific findings below from the professional >development study (scroll down). > >1. While most teachers experienced some sort of change after participation in >one of three models of professional development, relatively few experienced >integrated, transforming change in practice one year later. Does this hold >true with your experiences? If so, tell us about it. If not, why not? > >2. What stands out to you from the findings below? How does it relate to >your experiences? > >Thanks! >Jackie > > >BACKGROUND > >The research question driving this study was: How do practitioners change as a >result of participating in one of three different models of professional >development, and what are the most important factors that influence (support >or hinder) this change? Our goal was to discover the relative effectiveness of >different models of professional development, in order to help professional >development decision makers-adult education administrators and professional >developers at the program and state level-plan and deliver effective >professional development, and understand the factors that mediate the >influence of professional development. > >The main activities of the study were: > >Developing and testing three models of professional development activities >(multi-session workshop, mentor teacher group, or practitioner research group) >appropriate for adult education. > >Gauging the change (differences in thinking and acting) for teachers who >participated in one of these professional development activities. >Identifying the most important factors that influenced whether and how >teachers changed. > >The study was conducted with 100 teachers in three New England states >(Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts) between 1998 and 2000. Teachers >participated in an 18-hour professional development activity that focused on >the topic of learner persistence in adult basic education, designed according >to one of the following three models of professional development: > >Multisession workshop -- a "traditional" professional development activity, >but organized in multiple sessions and including experiential, active learning >activities. > >Mentor teacher group -- a "reform" type of professional development activity, >blending features of study circles with features of peer coaching and >observation. > >Practitioner research group -- a "reform" type of professional development >activity where teachers investigate their own classroom practice by collecting >and analyzing data to answer a question of concern to them. > >FINDINGS > >How Teachers Changed: >The research identified four types of change: >(1) no to minimal change, >(2) thinking change (more change in knowledge relative to changes in action), >(3) acting change (more action taken relative to knowledge change), and >(4) integrated change (new knowledge and action were used together, or >"integrated"). > >- Of teachers completing the professional development (n=83), 24% demonstrated >integrated change, 13% demonstrated acting change, 35% demonstrated thinking >change, and 28% demonstrated no or minimal change. > >- Most teachers, even dropouts (teachers who attended for less than 12 of the >18 scheduled hours), changed at least minimally through gains in knowledge or >actions in their classrooms; relatively few experienced no change at all. > >- However, one year after the professional development, a majority of teachers >had changed only minimally and then mostly in their thinking. For example, >almost all (90% of the whole sample, 95% of completers) gained some knowledge >on the topic of the professional development (learner persistence), but for >many it was only a concept or two. > >- Similarly, the majority (78% of the whole sample, 87% of completers) took >some action in their classrooms or programs to address the issue of learner >persistence, but for many it was minimal or short-lived (e.g., they called >absent learners a few times, or tried an observed technique once in their >class). > >- Changes were most often seen in teachers' roles as classroom teachers >(rather than their roles as learners, program members, or members of the >field).
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