New Possibilities: Course and Program Innovations in Teacher Residency

• In Event: Answerability, Urgency, and Joy: Revitalizing and Reinvigorating Teacher Education Through Residency

Abstract

Objectives: This paper reports on a case study exploring innovations in university coursework designed to: align program goals and values with course objectives, leverage residency-year clinical placements, and scaffold learning activities to meet objectives over the course of a P12 school year instead of a university semester. Traditionally, college and university coursework for teacher education is organized and delivered through 3-credit courses, almost all of which precede the student-teaching practicum. This case study explores: 1) the process of modularization; 2) resident perceptions of modularized coursework; and 3) the evolution of modularized coursework and teacher performance assessments in a university-based residency program.
Conceptual Framework: Grounded in Quinn and Fullan’s (2017) coherence theory of change, this paper provides a context-based investigation of the transformation of teacher education coursework from a traditional model to a flexible, module-based format designed to maximize the benefits of the year-long, immersive clinical residency. The process of transformation was part of an overall system change intended to engage teachers, school leaders, teacher education faculty in an initiative designed to improve teacher quality through an innovative teacher residency program. This research is informed by principles of collaborative professionalism, a “deeper and more rigorous form of professional collaboration,” collaborative professionalism “boosts student achievement, increases teacher retention, and enhances the implementation of innovation and change” (Hargreaves & O’Connor, 2017, p. vi). Collaborative professionalism supports the application of evidence-based practices with multiple forms of data and builds collaboration within schools as well as across school systems. It is a recursive process of continuous improvement that centers the work of teachers and school leaders, alongside students, parents, and community members, to create context-specific approaches to educational transformation grounded in student performance.
Data: This case study involves three data sources: reflective interviews with program faculty engaged in the process of modularization, program effectiveness survey data from residents who participated in modularized coursework, and resident and mentor teacher focus group data. Data analysis involved a recursive multilevel analysis structure (Benaquisto, 2008; Chenail, 2008; Creswell, 2013; Miles & Huberman, 1994; Saldaña, 2016) that drew connections between the data and literature on these topics.
Results: Findings suggest that the modularization process is recursive, with ongoing modifications and adaptations as university faculty forge deeper relationships with P12 classrooms, mentor teachers, and residents. Residents report the effectiveness of modules in connecting theory, research, and practice. Modularized courses allow residents to link coursework with active interaction in their placements, thus leveraging the contextualized aspects of learning. Effective mediation of the experience is further fostered by opportunities for structured analysis of and reflection on practice, thus connecting course content to previous and ongoing experiences and knowledge. Moreover, modularization has created opportunities to cultivate collaborative professionalism by including practicing teachers in the development and implementation of coursework.
Significance: As universities seek to transform teacher education programs to ensure coherence and alignment between program goals and values and K-12 district needs, this research stands to inform innovations that leverage K-12 clinical residency experience in the service of meeting university course objectives.

Authors

• Julie Gorlewski, Hunter College - CUNY

• Elisabeth Etopio, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Erin Kearney, University at Buffalo - SUNY