"We don’t observe other teachers”: Addressing professional development barriers through lesson study and video clubs

Yuzhu Xia, Adria Patthoff, Marco Bravo, Kip Téllez — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0700

This study examines if and how teachers learn with and from one another, given shared video-recorded lessons, virtual meetings in pairs and large groups, and specialized focus of learning content. Combining two existing and effective professional development designs, we implemented a hybrid model, Lesson Study with Video Club (LSVC). As our data demonstrate, this model met the learning needs of teachers in specialized contexts and offered teachers valuable opportunities to observe colleagues in different locations. In order to measure teachers’ perceived effectiveness of LSVC, we invited 57 elementary level Dual Language Program (DLP) teachers to plan, view and discuss each other’s recorded mathematics lessons in person and online. Teaching mathematics in DLP -- primarily in Spanish -- represents an example of the specialized instructional context for which LSVC is designed. The results of this mixed-methods, cross-state study in the United States show that LSVC helped deepen DLP teacher learning in developing teaching practices through opportunities to co-plan, deliver and discuss mathematics instruction with teachers beyond their home schools. Teachers also reported that participating in the hybrid model enhanced their professional relationships, a crucial feature for many teachers who work in specialized programs and often lack a local community of educators. We conclude the paper by noting the limitations of our research, as well as the policy implications and practical advantages of professional development that extends beyond individual schools and supports specialized learning.

The Impact of a Year-Long Professional Development on Teacher Self-Efficacy in Personal Writing and the Teaching of Writing

Guang-Lea Lee, Terri Brodeur, Cherng-Jyh Yen, Tian Luo, Pauline Salim Muljana — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Long-term professional development (PD) initiatives are scant in the extant literature. This study examines the impact of a year-long, face-to-face teacher PD provided for teachers from a high-need elementary school to improve their personal writing and writing instruction. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect and analyze data primarily from pre- and post-surveys and interviews. Statistical analyses suggest that teachers’ self-efficacy toward writing instruction was improved, but not self-efficacy toward their personal writing. Various means of how the year-long teacher PD influenced their self-efficacy were demonstrated through qualitative analysis. Implications of conducting teacher PD on writing instruction were discussed.

Teacher Learning and Professional Development

"We don’t observe other teachers”: Addressing professional development barriers through lesson study and video clubs

The Impact of a Year-Long Professional Development on Teacher Self-Efficacy in Personal Writing and the Teaching of Writing