Poster #8 - Differentiation of Ongoing Professional Development to Support Curriculum Implementation Based on Years of Experience

• In Event: 28.093 - MTCC Poster Session Five
  In Poster Session: 28.093-1 - Section 8 Poster Session 1

Abstract

Ongoing PD is a valuable resource to teachers as they implement curriculum that is new to them. As student-centered and problem-based pedagogies gain popularity, PD programs in support of teachers’ implementation will become essential. This study investigated five years of teacher participation in a responsive ongoing professional development program (ROPD) that directly supported teachers implementation of a problem-based learning curriculum. 67 middle school social studies teachers implemented a PBL-based curriculum and voiced their perceptions of where ongoing PD can be differentiated based on the teacher’s level of experience. Using a qualitative thematic analysis approach that investigated over 1,500 weekly written teacher log journals over the five-year period, the authors identified eight critical categories for PBL and student-centered professional development.

Authors

• Jeremy Riel, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Kimberly A. Lawless, The Pennsylvania State University - University Park

• Scott W. Brown, University of Connecticut