Teachers Professional Development - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal: Teachers professional development The purpose of this study is to identify the professional development that directly relates to the district goals and initiatives. This paper will effectively demonstrate development in professional standards among teachers for an interactive and engaging educational environment. It will try to establish how the district goals and initiatives correlate to the teacher’s professional development. Keywords: - professional development Introduction Professional development is the education experiences that relate to ones individual work. People in various businesses and professions participate in various professional developments. They are essential for learning and applying the knowledge with the new skills whose main purpose is to improve the performance for the job. Participating in ongoing learning ventures that are acceptable for their profession is a requirement. According to Marczely (2009), the term professional development refers to a formal process that includes a collaborative learning experience, a course in college, a conference or a seminar. However, professional development also takes place in an informal setting such as independent reading, carrying out research, discussions among colleagues or learning from the peers. It is a term that has over the years adapted many names like in-service, continuing education or professional learning but whatever the term, the purpose of it is to try and improve learning for educators for their students. Universities and colleges cannot offer in-depth study in different aspects of learning experiences needed for graduates to become better school educators. Therefore, professional development is vital as it will either affect the students in their grasp and interpretation of knowledge learnt. “The student achievement and learning relatively seem to increase when the educators employ in valuable professional development centred on skills that address students learning challenges” ( Hord and Tobia, 2011) The teaching models currently require a commitment for twenty-five years in stand and delivery service from the teacher to the students. This delivery involves the transfer in a self contained lecture or class room gets looked at as no longer an economical and educational viable. To meet growing needs in the education sector, a restructure of the education sector from a teaching institution to a learning institution. Research questions: Does the teacher’s professional development directly relate to the districts initiatives and goals? How does the district education committee ensure that their initiatives on improvement of the education sector get qualified? Is there any effect of the teacher’s professionalism to their students? Is there a correlation between the district goals and the teacher’s professional development? Who gains more from the teacher’s professionalism, the teacher or the students? Literature Review One of the key foundation principles for professional development revolves around the idea of quality in the teacher is crucial in the student success. Research carried out supports the correlation between the student achievements to the teacher’s quality. Rivers and Sanders study on the achievement of the student success found an unquestionable difference in the growth of the student achievements. It highlights over fifty percentage of student achievement are due to improvement in the teacher’s effectiveness. Tallerico (2007) reintroduces a concept, developed by Donald Schon in 1987, that involves a reflective practice that refines one’s craft and artistic in a precise discipline. The reflective concept involved a process of one considering various experiences in the application of knowledge coached relatively by a professional in that discipline. “The practice will also combine action research that aims at a continuous feedback into various practises learnt and received by the students” (Tallerico, 2011). Furthermore, an analysis of the data collected from the National assessment on the education progress revealed the effects of using the right classroom practices coupled with the teacher’s professional growth. The study suggests that teachers, who endeavour to contribute to the student learning skills with a professional edge, help to train a proficient student too. Consider Jensen (2008), who argues that, improvement in the teacher’s quality delivery through professional development is a key proponent towards raising the student achievement. In her study, Vail (2007) examined more than a thousand studies on the effect of teacher professional development, towards the student’s growth and achievement in language arts and sciences. The study revealed that only nine studies effectively met the standards put forth by the department of educators and the clearing house evidence and goals of the studies. However, it established from the nine studies that students in control groups had a splendid chance of improvement by twenty-one percent margins if their teacher receives some substantial professional development. Background of the study The design of any professional development to be adopted first is to relate to the directly to the set district initiatives and goals. The education system has its sets goals and initiatives that have to be achieved at the district level. The choice of the professional design selected has to be an approved approach that aims at effective implementation of the new skills learnt to the students. Based on Andrews and Haythornthwaite (2007) argumentative base, setting up high standards and the assessment of development in those standards is the key to any system reform. The forming of district goals and aims to be achieved by the professional development in the teachers is the fundamental key to this study. The search to transform the education systems at the district level requires a conceptualized framework that will aim at improving student’s performance as a whole. Conceptual framework of the study and design The SERVE centre in Alabama set up on a research to describe the evidential bases that administrators make their decision on professional development at the district level. The establishment of state and national standards aims at having a significant and long term impact for the professional developments undertaken by the teachers. The various findings from Vail in 2007 and other academic researchers represented in the literature review provides a conceptual frame work for the study. It offers an understanding of the various districts profession cycle and how it sets on achieving their goals and initiatives. It will look at: The assessment of the training needs as per the needs of the district in correlation to their objectives The selection and considerations put for professional development among teachers Identify type of evidence used to evaluate and plan the professional developments from the district council Contemplation of the contextual constraints in the study Monitor of the implementations and evaluation of the outcomes. Methodology This study will use a correlation survey design that will try to assess the teacher’s professional development goals that directly relate to the districts initiatives and goals. It will also apply the phenomenological research that will focus on sampling that is idiographic to understand the complexity of ones experience. Research design This research will employ the correlation design that will utilize a cross sectional survey methodology. In addition, it will include a number of survey instruments used in the study. Sampling design A logical random sample from a list of teachers following the professional development plan from the districts shall be used. Students from various institutions will also be used in the study. A group of 500 students obtained will participate in research with the initial sampling point located by using a table of random numbers. Tools of data collection The tools for the study will include a notation by observation of the study topic in various district schools. Recording devices such as a camera, video and audio recorders will act as the primary sources of data. Participation will also be employed in the study with data collected by participation of the respondents through carrying out some standardised tests, interviews as well as discussion groups. Questionnaires will also be used as one of the major tool for collecting data from the respondents. Method for analysing data The methods for analysing the data will include written descriptions from the research findings. The use of hierarchical listings and categorizations will also be utilized in the data accumulation. Procedure A letter of consent to carry out research in the schools will be acquired from the district education office. The collection of data shall involve willing participants whose will agree to be part of the study. Collection will involve participation by a single respondent for carrying out the questionnaires and interviews, but groups shall also be used for discussions. Results The study involving the correlation method of data collection as the major tool for collection will help to further the hypothesis. The study will aim to establish a link in the teacher’s professional development and how it directly relates to the districts initiatives and goals. The research shall look at whether the teacher’s professionalism has any effects to their students and who gains more from the professionalism. The results shall portray the correlation between the district goals and the teacher’s professional development. Also, it will show how the district education committee ensures that their initiatives on improvement of the education sector get fulfilled. Discussion As the various polices rise that aim to look at the improvement of teaching quality, it is essential to understand how it correlates to the districts goals. A look at the districts initiatives that relate to the teacher’s professional development is relatively prominent. Tallerico’s developed concept of reflective concept looks at how one can improve their skill and professionalism in their field. It is the concept that mostly involves the application of continued learning for teachers to adequately learn better teaching methods that will impact on their students. The concept of reflective research coupled with action research will create a continuous feedback to educate students. The research carried will look at this concept and try to prove whether it is a true hypothesis. This study will look at the effectiveness of teaching methods and the improvement shown in teacher’s professional development. The impacts and discoveries made in the study will be discussed in detail. The study poses various limitations in the part of data collection. Carrying out of research using the qualitative methods can result to the subjectivity to cause procedural problems. In addition, the comprehensive and in-depth look at gathering the data tends to limit the scope as well as the process being labour intensive. Conclusion In conclusion, the development of a district professional development goal has to coincide with the teacher’s professional development. They have to establish efficient students learning initiatives, the teachers teaching methods and their professional development as a whole. The teacher’s professional development has to reap benefits especially to the student in achieving their academic excellence. References Andrews, R., and Haythornthwaite, C. A. (2007). The Sage handbook of e-learning research. New York: SAGE Publications. Bernadette, Marczely. (2009). Personalizing Professional Growth: Staff Development That Works. New York: SAGE Publications. Hord, Shirley M., & Tobia, Edward F. (2011). Reclaiming our teaching profession: The power of educators learning in community. Texas: ERIC Publications Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-based learning: The new paradigm of teaching. Washington: ERIC Press. Tallerico, M. (2007). Supporting and Sustaining Teachers Professional Development. New York: SAGE Publications. Vail, Teresa, M. (2011). Teachers Professional Development Experiences: Implications for Teaching Practice. Texas: ERIC Publications Read More