Publication Date

2018

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Wilkins, Elizabeth A.

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

LCSH

Education; Educational leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the outcomes of a Job-Embedded Professional Development (JEPD) approach on Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE). Teachers volunteered to participate in one of three literacy teams designed for the study. At the opening of the study, teachers completed the Collective Teacher Efficacy Belief Scale (CTEBS) to determine the level of CTE present prior to engaging in the JEPD sessions. During the three JEPD sessions, teachers engaged in meaningful conversations about situated problems of practice and potential changes to address such concerns. At the conclusion of each JEPD session, teachers completed individual reflection journals documenting their experiences. Upon completion of the final JEPD session, teachers again completed the CTEBS. The study concluded with the completion of one-on-one interviews to provide a deeper understanding to the responses provided through the individual reflection journals. Three major findings were identified in this study. First, it was concluded that a JEPD approach to the professional development of teachers may play a role in influencing CTE. Second, this study supported the Social Cognitive Theory framework of human agency and Triadic Reciprocal Causation. And third, meaningful conversations about situated learning in authentic problems of practice contributed to the development of CTE. As a result of these findings, this study supports a sociocultural approach to the professional development of teachers. Embedded in Vygotsky's (1978) Socio-cultural Theory, there are five principles that encompass a sociocultural approach to teacher professional development. Teachers in this study experience four out of the five: teacher agency, situational appropriate, dialogical practice, and systemic in view. Utilizing these findings, recommendations for professional development and future research are also discussed.

Comments

Advisors: Elizabeth Wilkins.||Committee members: Joyce Laben; Stephen Tonks.||Includes illustrations.||Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

255 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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