A Qualitative Exploratory Study on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Special Education Teachers Towar

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A Qualitative Exploratory Study on the
Perceptions and Attitudes of Special Education
Teachers Toward Professional Development

• Davelyne Laguatan
• April 25, 2007

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Overview

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methodology
• Data Results
• Teacher Comments
• Recommendations
• What I learned

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Introduction

• Qualitative exploratory study of special
  education teachers perceptions toward
  professional development
• Teachers being held more accountable for
  students achievement
• Tracked by American Association for Employment
  (AAEE), half of all teachers leave field within 5
  years (Peterson, 2006).

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Introduction

• Hawaiis 258 public schools need between 1,400
  and 1,600 new teachers every year due to those
  that retire and leave system (Creamer, 2005).
• Important to understand teachers perceptions
  toward professional development
• Teachers need support to be an effective teacher
  in ever changing world in education

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Literature Review

• Professional Development continuous process of
  individual and collective examination and
  improvement of practice
• NCLB Act signed by Pres. Bush on January 8,
  2002, legislation calls for greater
  responsibility (Logerfo, 2006)
• Hawaii State Teaching Standards Hawaii State
  Teacher Standards Board created
• Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III

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Literature Review

• National board focused on teacher preparedness
  and professional teaching standards
• - NCATE National Council for
• Accreditation of Teacher Education
• - INTASC Interstate New Teachers
• Assessment and Support Consortium
• - NBPTS National Board for Professional
• Teaching Standards

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National Staff Development Council Standards

• Goal All teachers in all schools will
  experience high-quality professional learning as
  part of their daily work.
• Standards apply to K-12 teachers teaching any
  subject
• Standards broken down into
• - context standards
• - process standards
• - content standards

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Methodology

• Three different phases
• Phase 1
• - Focus group, 5 special education teachers from
  various complexes on Oahu
• Phase 2
• - Three one-on-ones to review my survey tool
• Phase 3
• - Eleven teachers from one complex take survey

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Methodology

• 7 participants took on-line survey, 4 took the
  hardcopy survey
• 15 Likert Scaled questions
• 8 Open-ended questions and section for comments

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Participants
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Participants
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(No Transcript)
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Likert Scaled Questions

• Three categories the questions fell into
• 1. Professional development
• importance, effectiveness,
• improvement
• 2. Professional development awareness
• 3. Professional development voice

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Importance, Effectiveness, Improvement

• 64 believe that professional development is
  important
• 45 believe professional development produces
  effective teachers
• 45 of feel that professional development and
  student achievement are linked

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Professional Development Awareness
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Professional Development Awareness
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Professional Development Voice

• 61 felt that they have a voice for areas/topics
  at school level
• 45 felt that their voice is actually heard when
  expressed
• 45 were undecided if they have a voice for
  areas/topics at state/district level
• 45 were undecided if their voice is actually
  heard when expressed

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Open-Ended Questions

• Eight Categories
• 1. Defining professional development
• 2. Beneficial PD experiences
• 3. Non-beneficial PD experiences
• 4. PD offerings
• 5. Special Education teacher needs
• 6. Improving PD
• 7. Professional development perceptions

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Data Results

• Teachers responses fell into 4 National Staff
  Development Council standard categories
• Categories included resources, design
  strategies, collaboration skills, quality teaching

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Theme Resources

• NSDC standard Staff development improves
  learning of all students require resources to
  support adult learning and collaborations
• Mutual support, collaboration with colleagues,
  acquiring knowledge from sources outside school,
  funding for teacher, teacher opportunities to
  learn, plan and practice
• Teachers want more courses, not always
  convenient, affordable, limited offerings
• Teachers want to share, hear, learn about
  strategies from other teachers. Have access to
  samples and examples.

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Theme Design Strategies

• NSDC standard Staff development improves the
  learning of all student uses learning strategies
  appropriate to the intended goal
• Instructional strategies, learning goal,
  environment set-up, materials used, meeting time,
  amount of meeting days, media
• Teachers want PD that provides information they
  can use in their class
• Appreciated useful materials, well organized,
  clear objectives, multiple use of strategies
• Enough time provided to learn the content

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Theme Collaboration Skills

• NSDC standard Staff development improves the
  learning of all students provides educators with
  the knowledge and skills to collaborate
• Professional learning in group settings within
  schools and school districts are important forms
  of professional learning
• Teachers want to learn examples of successful
  teaching programs, strategies, reflect, share,
  compare strategies, what worked/didnt work,
  question/answer seminar
• Collaborate and share experiences with other
  teachers

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Theme Quality Teaching

• NSDC standard Staff development that improves
  the learning of all students deepens educators
  content knowledge to assist students
• Instructional methods congruent to expected use
  in classroom. Ongoing professional learning and
  collaboration during teacher work days.
• Teachers expressed strongly to have offerings
  useful, helpful, and pertains to student
  level/ability
• Want to improve teaching skills, students
  achievement, gain knowledge, keep up with
  constant changes
• One teacher felt there werent enough courses
  offered to feel like a professional.

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Teacher Comments

• Teachers appreciated PD, were all for it, wanted
  to improve their ways of teaching, supported PD,
  and hoped to gain something from the PD
• I think professional development can be very
  beneficial. I hope I always walk away learning
  something! I feel its always important to be
  constantly learning new things/ideas.
• I enjoy good, informative workshops and
  trainings. I love to learn/re-learn something
  and know and feel I can use it in my classroom
  immediately
• PD is like a two edge sword that helps me
  improve, yet cuts and makes me bleed too.

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Teacher Comments

• I am all for professional development and trying
  to improve my ways of teaching.
• I look forward to taking PD classes, but usually
  have to cross my fingers and hope I gain
  something beneficial from the class.
• Even if information/techniques are
  shared/learned, it is still up to the individual
  to actuate it.
• Those who have been required to memorize the
  world as it is, will never create the world as it
  might be.

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Recommendations

• Set up an electronic resource library for
  teachers, administrators, parents, service
  providers
• Studies can continue to see if there are PD links
  to student achievement, teaching quality,
  attitudes, etc.
• Provide more time for survey and a different time
  of year. Provide incentives to participants.
• Share this with those who provide PD for DOE or
  anyone interested

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What I Learned

• How to do a qualitative study and its process
• How difficult it was to ask the right questions
  for my survey
• Revise.revise.revise

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Shirley Yamashita
• ETEC Faculty
• ETEC Peers
• Karen Sakurai
• Dan Yahata
• Special Education Teachers
• Parents, family friends
• Mitchell West

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Thank You
Any Questions?