Influences on professional learning: five teachers' stories: a dissertation

2005·8.7 MB·English

by  Sterling, Mary Lincoln

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InfluencesonProfessionalLearning:
FiveTeachers'Stories
ADISSERTATION
submittedby
MaryLincolnSterling
Inpartialfulfillmentoftherequirements
forthedegreeof
DoctorofPhilosophy
LESLEYUNIVERSITY
May,2005

Abstract
Thepurposeofthisstxidywastoidentifyandunderstandchangesthatenduredin
teachers'knowledgeandpracticeafterparticipationinprofessionaldevelopment.Case
studieswereconductedwithfiveteacherswhocompletedacommonprofessional
developmentcourseinpedagogy.Methodologywasbasedoncollaborativeresearch
includmgmemberchecksenhancedby"storycharts"depictingvisualdisplaysof
emergingfindings.Portraitsoftheteachershighlighttheirdiversitymage,background,
m
gender,careerstage,andteachingassignment,andalsoportraydifferences their
enduringprofessionalleaniing.Fromthisdiversegroup,thestudyfoundthreeunderlying
forcesthatinfluencedteacherlearning:personalbackground,careerandadult
development,andciurentteachingcontext.Thisstudysuggestscautionmclaimingthat
teacherswhoparticipateinthesameprofessionaldevelopmente5q)eriencewilllearnand
utilizesimilarinformation.Instead,thesecasesillustratehowparticularunderlying
influencesintersectwithcoursecontenttoindividualizeprofessionallearning.