Professional Development

Integrating a Space for Teacher Interaction into an Educative Curriculum: Design Principles and Teachers' Use of the iPlan Tool

Implementation of reform curricula requires teachers to adopt new approaches to teaching. Research has provided promising results about the influence of educative curriculum on teachers’ learning and instruction. However, this approach generally focuses on teachers as isolated learners. Using a design-based research approach, the authors developed a web-based tool, iPlan, which provides access to educative curriculum materials in an online interactive learning platform.

Author/Presenter

Miray Tekkumru-Kisa

Christian Schunn

Year
2019
Short Description

Authors describe the design principles of iPlan, a web-based tool provides access to educative curriculum materials in an online interactive learning platform, and discuss implications for designing educative and online systems for teacher learning.

The Impacts of a Research-Based Model for Mentoring Elementary Preservice Teachers in Science

This article focuses on the impacts of a program designed to prepare elementary classroom teachers to mentor preservice teachers for effective science instruction. The mentor preparation program was grounded in research on effective science instruction and learning-focused mentoring.

Author/Presenter

Matthew Miller

Daniel Hanley

Joseph Brobst

Year
2019
Short Description

This article focuses on the impacts of a program designed to prepare elementary classroom teachers to mentor preservice teachers for effective science instruction.

Mentoring the Mentors: Hybridizing Professional Development to Support Cooperating Teachers’ Mentoring Practice in Science

This article describes key features of a hybrid professional development (PD) program that was designed to prepare elementary classroom teachers to mentor preservice teachers for effective science instruction. Five classroom teachers who were new to our mentor training participated in the study to document the impacts of the PD sequence. The PD combined an in-person immersion into the components of effective science instruction with online modules centered on learner-supportive mentoring practices.

Author/Presenter

Josie Melton

Matthew Miller

Joseph Brobst

Year
2019
Short Description

This article describes key features of a hybrid professional development (PD) program that was designed to prepare elementary classroom teachers to mentor preservice teachers for effective science instruction.

A Coding Tool for Examining the Substance of Teacher Professional Learning and Change with Example Cases from Middle School Science Lesson Study

Although lesson study is increasingly adopted in the United States (U.S.), the impact of lesson study on teacher learning is uncertain. This study presents a theoretically grounded set of codes to systematically document the various aspects of teacher learning and change (knowledge and beliefs, professional learning community, resources) in lesson study across contexts. To present examples of the codes in use, a subset of codes related to change in teacher knowledge and beliefs were applied to analyze teachers' professional discourse in three middle school science lesson study teams.

Author/Presenter

Christine Lee Bae

Kathryn N. Hayes

Jeffery Seitz

Dawn O’Connor

Rachelle DiStefano

Year
2016
Short Description

This study presents a theoretically grounded set of codes to systematically document the various aspects of teacher learning and change (knowledge and beliefs, professional learning community, resources) in lesson study across contexts.

What Does It Mean to Notice My Students’ Ideas in Science Today?: An Investigation of Elementary Teachers’ Practice of Noticing Their Students’ Thinking in Science

Efforts toward improving K-12 science education emphasize teachers noticing students’ thinking as they engage in disciplinary practices and reasoning. This noticing requires specialized teacher knowledge and skills as it involves attending to students’ ideas, as well as making sense of and responding to those ideas so that the disciplinary substance in them is recognized, made explicit, and supported.
Author/Presenter

Melissa J. Luna

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2018
Short Description

An investigation of elementary teachers’ noticing of students’ ideas and their thinking surrounding their noticing practice.

Traveling Teacher Professional Development Model: Local Interpretation and Adaptation of Lesson Study in Florida

This mixed-method comparative study examined lesson study in Japan as the original model, and interpretation and adaption of lesson study as an emerging new model of teacher professional development in Florida, the United States. The study found that lesson study has been interpreted through the lens of organizational structures and routines of teacher professional development in Florida and the U.S. in general, and the model was adapted to fit into the existing organizational contexts.

Author/Presenter

Motoko Akiba

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2016
Short Description

The chapter discusses the underlying views of teacher professional development and the teaching profession in the U.S. that played an important role in the adaptation process of lesson study.

Race to the Top and Lesson Study Implementation in Florida: District Policy and Leadership for Teacher Professional Development

Lesson study was introduced to school districts in Florida in the United States as part of the federal government’s Race to the Top Program in 2010 to scale improvement in instruction and student learning. However, little is known about what district policy and leadership characteristics are associated with the level of lesson study implementation.

Author/Presenter

Motoko Akiba

Aki Murata

Cassie Howard

Bryan Wilkinson

Judith Fabrega

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2019
Short Description

Based on a mixed methods study of a statewide survey and interviews of district professional development directors, we found that district requirement of lesson study, funding provision, and future sustainability plan were significantly and positively associated with a broader implementation of lesson study within the district. Implications for educational leaders at local educational agencies are discussed.

Resource(s)

Lesson Study Design Features for Supporting Collaborative Teacher Learning

Teacher learning communities have been promoted as a promising approach to promote systemwide improvement of teaching and student learning. However, our knowledge about what design features of collaborative learning processes in teacher groups support teacher learning is still limited.

Author/Presenter

Motoko Akiba

Aki Murata

Cassandra C. Howard

Bryan Wilkinson

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2019
Short Description

Based on a teacher survey of lesson study, this study found that facilitators’ focus on student thinking, the quality of materials, and duration of lesson study were significantly associated with teacher participation in an effective inquiry process, which in turn is associated with perceived positive changes in teacher knowledge, self-efficacy, and expectation.

Integrating STEM into Preschool Education: Designing a Professional Development Model in Diverse Settings

High quality early childhood education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning have gained recognition as key levers in the progress toward high quality education for all students. STEM activities can be an effective platform for providing rich learning experiences that are accessible to dual language learners and students from all backgrounds. To do this well, teachers need professional development on how to integrate STEM into preschool curricula, and how to design experiences that support the dual language learners in the classroom.

Author/Presenter

Kimberly Brenneman

Alissa Lange

Irena Nayfeld

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2018
Short Description

In this article, the authors outline the main components and the iterative design process we undertook to ensure that the professional supports are relevant and effective for teachers and children.

Personal and Canonical PCK: A Synergistic Relationship?

Smith, P. S., Plumley, C. L., Hayes, M. L., & Esch, R. K. (2018). Personal and Canonical PCK: A Synergistic Relationship? In S. Graves, M. Harford, R. Thompson, E. Shay, & S. Uzzo (Eds.), Pedagogical Content Knowledge in STEM (pp. 49-66). The Netherlands: Springer.

Author/Presenter

P. Sean Smith

Courtney L. Plumley

Meredith L. Hayes

R. Keith Esch

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2018
Short Description

Features approaches for leveraging PCK research in STEM learning across formal and informal settings.