"I'm Stretching Myself as a Teacher Everyday": Teacher Professional Growth and Innovation During COVID-19

• In Event: Teacher Agency, Community, and Growth During Pandemic Teaching

Abstract

This study examines an aspect of teachers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic that has received limited attention—opportunities for professional growth and innovation. It also explores the factors that might explain variation in teachers’ perceived opportunities for learning. Drawing on survey data from 276 teachers from two school districts in Southern California, this paper answers the following questions: 1) To what extent did teachers experience opportunities for professional growth and innovation during the pandemic? How did they describe these opportunities? 2) Which factors explain variability in teachers’ perceived opportunities for professional learning and innovation? This paper shifts the focus from what we’ve lost to what we’ve learned and how we may use that learning in the wake of the pandemic.

Authors

• Adriana Villavicencio, University of California - Irvine

• Rossella Santagata, University of California - Irvine

• Lora Cawelti, University of California - Irvine

• Christopher Wegemer, University of California - Los Angeles