TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF SCHOOL CHANGE: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF TEACHERS INTEGRATING ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Teachers and their professional development play an essential role in the success of school reform efforts, including the integration of academic and vocational education. Integration requires that teachers learn to think in new ways about the subject matter they teach, collaborate with other teachers across subject matter areas, and relate content to real-world contexts in ways that are meaningful for students. This study describes three qualitative case studies of teams of teachers integrating academic and vocational education. Methodology includes individual and small group interviews, field observations, and document review. The data are analyzed according to a conceptual framework derived from a review of literature on school reform, professional development, and integration. The framework includes four broad categories: the policy environment, organizational conditions, human and social resources, and school culture.
Conclusions drawn from the findings in the case studies indicate that in order to support teacher professional development policy should take a systemic approach, striking a balance between themes of control and commitment. Organizational conditions such as teaming, common space and planning time, a common group of students for teacher teams, and access to a variety of formal learning experiences enhance teachers' ability to integrate. Human and social resources—including district and building administrators, business, industry, community members, and colleagues—contribute uniquely to teachers' ability to continually improve and try out new approaches in the classroom. The cultural environment of the teams forms around common beliefs about teaching and learning, an ethic of caring, and a strong sense of collegiality and teamwork. This type of culture develops over time with attention to resolving conflicts and building a sense of trust and respect for others. In these cases, efforts to integrate academic and vocational education result in improved student achievement, attendance, and classroom behavior. Teachers find a supportive environment for professional development, adopt new teaching practices, and increase their sense of efficacy.