Examining Access to Collaboration: Organizational Conditions of Schools and Teachers' Collaborative Learning Opportunities

• In Event: 18.059 - MTCC Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: 18.059-3 - Teacher Collaboration: Structures and Effects

Abstract

Increasing collaboration among teachers has been a hallmark of school improvement efforts for many decades. While there is considerable research and policy support for collaboration, there is growing evidence that not all teachers have access to sufficient collaborative time and that the nature and productivity of this collaborative time may vary widely. Using data from teachers across the state of Tennessee, this study examines the extent to which teachers report participating in learning opportunities created by collaboration and how these opportunities are distributed across and within schools. In doing so, this analysis examines whether teacher-level factors or school organizational conditions are associated with the type, frequency, and teacher-rated helpfulness of collaborative activities reported by teachers.

Author

• Susan Kemper Patrick, Vanderbilt University