Interrogating an Implementation Filter: What Constrains Changes in Teacher Practice in Response to Professional Development

• In Event: Research in Progress Division K: Teacher Professional Development and Practice

Abstract

An important problem with some teacher professional development opportunities is that they do not result in actual changes to teacher classroom practice. Prior theoretical perspectives have characterized this phenomenon as moderators of the impact of professional development and “filters” in the trajectory of professional development delivery. In response, the purpose of this survey is to understand barriers to the impact of teacher professional development on classroom practice. Specifically, we conducted a descriptive and associational quantitative study of barriers to the pedagogical implementation of content learned during teacher professional development for core-content educators. We explore a variety of potential barriers at different levels, including the teacher, classroom, and school levels as well as factors associated with those barriers.

Authors

• Olha Ketsman, Northern Illinois University

• Kara Kennedy, Northern Illinois University

• Todd Reeves, Northern Illinois University

• Mary Sanderson, Northern Illinois University

• Akosua Birago Poku, Northern Illinois University