Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gather information from teachers that participated in extended professional development (PD) to learn about the effects that various PD structures, leadership, and collaboration had on their own levels of situational self-efficacy. A collection of first-hand accounts from teachers regarding the impact of PD on self-efficacy were gathered and analyzed during this research study. This qualitative study addressed the research question, Do PD structures, leadership, and/or collaboration help transform situational self-efficacy levels from disbelief to belief in ability?” Participants in this phenomenological study were purposefully selected. It was important to select participants with richer PD experiences so that a broader perspective of the relationship between PD structures and self-efficacy could be gained in this study. The participants were all teachers from schools in the Chicago suburbs and regularly participated in ongoing professional development. The study participants identified with experiencing a growth in self-efficacy as a result of PD. Each participant completed a survey on teacher self-efficacy and participated in an individual semi-structured interview. Select participants also took part in a semi-structured focus group interview. The individual interviews and focus group interview were conducted to gain a better understanding of the attributes of PD that contribute to positive growth in efficacy levels. The use of a focus group allowed for teachers with similar PD backgrounds to engage in richer conversations than would be possible with individual interviews. An interview protocol using semi-structured questions related to PD and self-efficacy was used. The data from the surveys, interviews, and focus group were transcribed and analyzed to search for emerging patterns. The resulting themes found through the research help provide a richer understanding of the phenomenon that exists when a teachers belief system grows from disbelief to belief in ability to transfer new learning into professional practice. As a result of the analysis, three overarching themes emerged from the data: The first was, participants assume the role of the student during PD ; second, PD leaders focus on the participants needs as learners ; and finally, PD structures establish a system of accountability balances . Study participants recalled that participating in PD as a student contributed to their growth in self-efficacy. The participants told stories of engaging in hands-on learning tasks, learning with and from colleagues, and gathering feedback from colleagues and leaders. The participants also shared actions taken by PD leaders that influenced their beliefs in transferring new learning into practice. Study participants shared that when PD leaders planned for challenging and engaging PD and built in time for practice and reflection, they felt better about their abilities to transfer new learning into practice. Finally, study participants shared that they felt stronger about their abilities to apply new learning to classroom practice when PD structures provided supportive levels of accountability by promoting collaborative work with colleagues supported by instructional coaches as part of a sustained cycle of PD. The results of this study are intended to produce a rich description of participant history and experience with PD and its impact on self-efficacy levels so that the consumers of the information can determine if any of the findings apply to their own environment.

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