Teachers' Improvement Work in High-Performing Public Secondary Schools Serving Disadvantaged Students in Chile

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Nine
  In Roundtable Session: "Why Teach?" Exploring Teachers' Motivations and Commitments to Teaching in Cross-Cultural Settings (Table 13)

Abstract

Understanding instructional improvement in high schools that serve disadvantaged students is key to supporting teachers and school leaders who are expected to provide students with high-quality learning opportunities. The current study examines teachers’ improvement work in two public secondary schools categorized as high performing by the Quality Agency in Chile. Drawing from a thematic analysis of individual and group interviews with leaders and teachers (N=47), findings illustrate high expectations that drive the use of data and strong collaboration to mobilize improvements in teaching and learning. High expectations for continuous improvement on standardized assessments create work overload and strong collaboration is a resource that helps teachers address this problem, but with some costs.

Authors

• Carmen Montecinos, Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso
  Presenting Author

• Monica Cortez, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso
  Non-Presenting Author

• Xavier Vanni, Universidad de Chile
  Non-Presenting Author

• Oscar Maureira
  Non-Presenting Author

• Juan Pablo Valenzuela, Universidad de Chile
  Non-Presenting Author