Teachers' Emotional Experiences in Professional Development: Where They Come From and What They Can Mean

• In Event: 69.040 - Positionality, Agency, and Emotion in Professional Development

Abstract

A qualitative, descriptive study was focused on the nature of teachers’ emotional experiences in professional development, and the antecedents and consequences of those experiences. Middle school English/language arts teachers were interviewed at the beginning, middle, and conclusion of a five-month period during which they engaged in a series of trainings on differentiated literacy instruction. After coding and analyzing the interviews, common pleasant and unpleasant emotional experiences were identified, as were three general areas (administration, context, individual) from which antecedents originated. Findings suggest that pleasant PD experiences had positive consequences for teachers’ attitudes about and behavior in the classroom, whereas unpleasant experiences negatively impacted their attitudes and behaviors related to future PD. Implications for teachers, trainers, and administrators are discussed.

Authors

• Rachel E. Gaines, The University of Texas - Austin

• David J. Osman, The University of Texas - Austin

• Jen L. Freeman, The University of Texas - Austin

• Jayce R. Warner, The University of Texas - Austin

• Danika Maddocks, The University of Texas - Austin

• Diane L. Schallert, The University of Texas - Austin