Rationale

Day (1994, p.214) argues for targeting professional development programs at landmark stages of intellectual, career or role developments.  An example of this would be beginning teachers working with new curriculum initiatives.  Although this professional development program is mainly based within the school for its implementation and presentation phase, it was felt that a social situation involving similarly experienced participants would be valuable.   As each school has relatively few beginning teachers, it was necessary to conduct the group training and reflection sessions off-site to allow for the desired socialisation to occur through grouping all participants.   Although this professional development is a ‘one-off’ program, the information gathered through the process will form a package of materials and examples available for use by other schools.

Logan and Dempster (1992, p.229) identify the need for localisation of professional development, allowing teachers to exercise control, while still catering for influences by government policies and priorities.   Key learning area policy and the constructivist pedagogy influence the standardised structure of the planning and implementation format.  However, teachers still have flexibility with the activities they choose, goals they set for themselves and their style of implementation, as the bulk of a professional development program centre on direct relationships to work settings (Maxwell 1993,p.31). As a group, participants share the goal of creating integrated unit plans that are responsive to local needs (Walker, 1998). 

This professional development program is based on principles of action research, defined by Ingvarson (1987, p.28) as a process of developing knowledge through reflection in action. Butler (1994, p.21) proposes that action research and reflection are the key processes for sustained self development. Such inquiry is a necessary condition of teacher improvement (Logan and Dempster 1992, p.236) and is most appropriate when focussing on new issues (Ingvarson 1987, p.29).

Walker (1998) proposes that teachers analyse, evaluate and plan their professional development journeys.  Similarly, Maxwell (1993, p.31) found professional development to be most successful when multi-phase courses are implemented, allowing participants to try out new skills in the classroom and engage in professional discussion after each stage. A collegial model (Walker 1992, p.8) is used throughout the implementation to provide support for this analysis, although each participant remains accountable for their actions.  The final stages of this multi-phase process involve considerable reflection and presentation, supported by the collegial group.  Killion and Kaylor (1991, p.64) state that without follow-up support, most teachers resort to old, comfortable patterns. 

Program construction

Participants

The focus audience for this program consists of five beginning teachers, chosen after a district level induction program to identify local needs.  Timetabling, unit planning and use of learning technology were identified as common concerns of the group.  As this project was to concentrate on integrating learning technology into a constructivist curriculum, participation was limited to teachers currently at the ‘adaptation’ stage of technology identified by Dwyer, Ringstaff and Sandholtz (1991).  This professional development plan provides the necessary support for teachers to move through the ‘appropriation’ and ‘invention’ stages of technology adoption. 

 PHASES OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGY ADAPTION

Adapted from Dwyer, D., Ringstaff, C. and Sandholtz, J. (1991).

Participation in the program is voluntary (Logan and Dempster 1992, p.237).  Teachers are made aware of the responsibilities of the project and the expectations placed upon them.  Participation in the process also requires school support, ensuring technology and flexibility is made available to participating teachers. 

Focus and goals

Day (1994, p.205) stresses that professional development must pay close attention to teachers’ moral purposes and the quality of their thinking.  The central goal of this professional development program is to have teachers analyse their personal philosophy and begin to actively develop their own personal development plans so their daily classroom activities more closely represent their personal beliefs.  Through recognising each teacher as a unique individual (Mackenzie, 1999) change in teaching practice may occur more readily.

Logan and Dempster (1992, p.231) acknowledges that many professional development programs stem from the need to implement centrally imposed initiatives and government priorities.  Indeed, this project focuses on the issues of outcomes based education, implementation of two new key learning areas and the use of learning technology to meet minimum standards required by all Queensland teachers.  To ensure system initiatives are met in a context of individualised development,  this project follows the transformative approach (Logan and Dempster 1992, p.129), using revisionism to cover basic initiatives, moving through experimentalism to identify the problematic nature of learning technology and on to transformatism to an insightful, reflective and explicit understanding of their beliefs leading to a reconstruction of the curriculum. 

 While systemic initiatives are covered through the revisionist approach, experimentalism attempts to deal with the problematic nature of teaching integrated units of work. Through a process of collecting and comparing artefacts of past and present curriculum implementation, teachers collaboratively identify, implement and monitor changes in classroom actions. Tripp (in Logan and Dempster 1992, p.236) identify four kinds of action research.  Critical/Radical action research has been chosen for this program for its aim of developing new practices with accompanying changes in values within a problematic viewpoint.  To support this research style, personal and technical support is available to participants through structured mentoring sessions, while on-demand support is available through email contact with mentors and colleagues.  This need for continuous support is explained by Logan and Dempster (1992, p.237) to combat the feelings of loss, anxiety and conflict experienced when making significant changes to professional practice.

 In Logan and Dempster’s third phase of the transfomative approach, the project seeks to better enable teachers to be insightful about their practices and reconstruct their social and personal views through formal reflection activities.  The goal of forming a support group for the participants and releasing them from their schools is to facilitate a risk-free, open attitude to learning where non-judgemental leadership is provided (Cardno 1992, p.22).

Theoretical approach

Logan and Dempster (1992, p.229) warn against professional development programs that are uncoordinated and sporadic.   The specific sequence of events in this project set a framework for activities, while being flexible to allow individual teacher developments. 

Orientation Program

Before the commencement of the professional development program, all participants and mentors meet informally to discuss the requirements of participation in the program.  Participants are also briefed as to what information to start collecting to bring along to the first training session.

Initial Training

On the first full day of training, participants are asked to bring in examples of their current timetable, classroom furniture plan and their unit planning format. As a group, they are asked to identify their personal philosophies and beliefs towards teaching.  They then individually rate how they are currently actualising these beliefs and skills and identify their current stage of technology proficiency. 

 Stages of Proficiency of Technology Use

Mandinach and Cline (1994) 

 Through formal presentations, a team of four education advisers then present  the nature and underlying philosophies of new syllabus documents and government initiatives. Walker (1992, p.9) believes this pre-planning stage should ensure participants are acquainted with any information which will assist them to understand the context of their job.

 Informal discussion is then used to collaboratively develop an example of unit planning based around these ideas.  Mentors then work individually with each participant to plan a specific unit of work based around current class needs.  The day ends with an informal group discussion of each participant’s unit of work, where resources and teaching tips are offered.

 Email List

During the implementation of the unit, an electronic mailing list will be established, with membership limited to the five participants and four education advisers acting as mentors.  As all teachers have access to email, this system will provide continuous support in line with adult learning principles including information available on demand and  social learning.   Day (1994, p.207) stresses that professional development must provide opportunities for teachers to learn alone and with others through reflection and confrontation.  The quality and content of peer dialogue is centrally important to professional growth (Butler 1994, p.21).  The advisory team will guide and monitor the level of professional discussion.

.This individualised professional development program for each teacher allows high quality learning opportunities in flexible and evolutionary contexts (Day 1994, p.216).  The email list takes on the form of a help group (Killion and Kaylor 1991, p.65), in which participants offer suggestions and individualised assistance to other members who have specific implementation problems.  On conclusion of the program , participants will be introduced to other support groups (Killion and Kaylor 1991, p. 66) available on the internet or at physical locations within the district.

 Mentoring

Killion and Kaylor (1991, p.64) state that participants in any professional development program need support, encouragement and assistance. Maxwell (1993, p.31) identifies mentoring as an essential part of a professional development program.  Within the four week implementation of the unit of work, participants have the opportunity to have on-site mentoring through co-operative teaching sessions with the education advisers.    Smart (1998) assumes that such formal workplace mentoring can facilitate the change process, transferring life-long learning.  Walker (1998) proposes that through mentoring, more significant learning occurs. Although this mentoring relationship could be developed within each school, Cardno (1992, p.32) suggests such networks outside of the school structure are important to develop.

 Smart (1998) suggests mentoring assists teachers to exercise their own professional judgement and skills and be actively involved in determining their own professional development needs.  Participants in the program can negotiate the timing of these sessions, according to their individual needs within their teaching program (Day 1994, p.215).   Butler (1994, p.18) proposes that knowledge does not become real until it has been experienced.  These mentoring sessions form a two way relationship between action and thought.  By placing the processes, knowledge and skills into context, thought may come from actions, rather than actions being the product of thought.  This process aligns with the philosophies of action research, facilitating self directed, life-long learning. 

 Reflection Session

Upon implementation of the unit, all teachers and mentors group for a full day of reflection activities. Day (1994, p.217) identifies the most valued approaches to professional development as including time for reflection by individuals and groups, sharing of ideas and values by participants, setting priorities for action and  needs based problem solving methodologies.  Barlett in Logan and Dempster (1992, p.240) state that reflection occurs in collaborative contexts,  is non-individualistic, and features an emphasis on action-based and shared understanding.

 This progress review (Walker 1992, p.9) focuses on the participant’s performance compared with their performance plan.  Mackenzie (1999) sees this as an opportunity for participants to examine the different routes to the shared goals.  As part of the reflection activities, teachers are asked to help each other compare developments in present and past unit planning frameworks, furniture layouts and class timetables.  Logan and Dempster (1992, p.237) propose that such collegial critique and reflection improves the symbiosis between theorising and practice, both to individuals and to the professional as a whole.   This enables the integration of curriculum, pedagogy and organisational experiences.  Butler (1994, p.21) proposes that we grow professionally if we are invited to analyse and reflect on our core values and assumptions in a context that is both challenging and supportive.  Carr and Kemmis (in Logan and Dempster 1992, p.240) agree that individual and group involvement is required in such social criticism, for learning about themselves, their work and the power relationships that constrain them. 

 At the conclusion of this session, teachers plan the next stages of their professional development.  This is done individually, through teachers identifying and prioritising current differences between their revised personal philosophy and current teaching practices.  Killion and Kaylor (1991, p.65) emphasise follow up strategies require the learners themselves to be responsible for  implementation and to be actively involved in practice.

 Presentation Session

Transformatist education (Logan and Dempster 1992, p.239) requires of participants an explication of attitudes, beliefs and actions and their origins, for teacher professional development. Each participant in this program is expected to present their findings and reflections to their peers.  To facilitate this process, participants are provided with training in PowerPoint (a standard presentation tool present in every school).  During the reflection session, participants are given time and guidance to formally record their processes and outcomes used through a PowerPoint template.

 This process fulfils the ‘primary purpose of in-service education’ (Logan and Dempster 1992, p.239) , being to make explicit and public the intellectualism of one’s own practices and beliefs along with their origins and shaping influences.

 Financial Consideration 

Funding of $198.70 per teacher release day has been provided to release five teachers for two full days.  Other components of the project requirements such as access to email, the use of a dedicated email list and software applications to operate the planning format,  are existing resources in each school.  The time taken to train and mentor each teacher is considerable.  Four education advisers need to be released for the equivalent of three and a half school days each, to provide training and mentoring opportunities to the participants.

 This substantial cost in time and money can however be offset by the production of a professional development plan for use by other teachers.  As each teacher is required to fully document their process of professional development, this outcome will be used as examples of a self-directed resource for all teachers available on the internet.  Although it is envisioned that this exact process would not be repeated in the future,  other schools may modify this project according to their own needs.  It is however envisioned that teachers wishing to engage in this unit planning process do so by following a self-guided tutorial, examining examples of best practice and gaining support through existing or new email lists.

Motivation Techniques for Participation

In this program self esteem is built through the sharing of professional development results (Day 1994, p.218).  This sharing takes place within the participant group, within each school environment and by state-wide publication of outcomes by Education Queensland.  

 Ingvarson (1987, p.28) adds that action research methods of professional development inherently motivate teachers through their attempts to make their practice more consistent with their educational values.   The program’s focus on identifying and reflecting on meaningful job performance leads to job satisfaction (McQuillan 1994, p.22).

Structure and Content 

As professional development is to be part of a holistic process, participants and mentors are actively involved in the planning and implementation. The program meets the requirements of Minimum Standards for Learning Technology and is developed in conjunction with the requirements of implementing outcomes based curriculum.  This coordination with other parts of professional development programs (Ingvarson 1987, p.23 and Bredekamp and Willer 1992, p.47)  overcomes major limiting factors of similar programs and recognises the significant impact external support can provide to the receptivity and implementation of new ideas (Ingvarson 1987, p.24)

 Cardno ‘s framework for professional development (1992, p.17) can be used as a template for this program

 ·           A solid base of Curriculum Leadership is provided by trained curriculum advisers, providing the planning, operation and development strategies for teachers to successfully implement new curriculum.

·           Performance appraisal for the professional development primarily comes from the participants.  By collecting past and present examples of unit planning and self reflection, participants will examine the extent to which they meet self-set goals.  However, advisers and school principals will contribute to determining participant needs.  Peers will be the primary source of making dialogue and noting possible improvements.

·           Elements of staff development programs:

·           Curriculum development is provided in the way of a integrated unit planning format, integrating objectives, teaching strategies, resources and evaluation.   This support is coordinated among all curriculum advisers (Ingvarson 1987, p.25).  This framework conforms to the guidelines set out by Johnson (1992, p.29) in that it sets goals within an instructional model that develops intellectual processes.

·           Personal development is provided through group formation over two days and the use of an email list.  These techniques will endeavour to build relationships between the group, focussing on social communication and self reflection.

·           Management development is ensured by the principal’s commitment to allow the participating teachers access to learning technology and the flexibility to experiment with new approaches.  Specific training is given through the first release day, whereas education is provided through a list of academic readings and internet sites to be discussed via email during the four week unit implementation.  Maxwell (1993, p.31) agrees that professional readings are required to supplement the inservice sessions.

·           School development is facilitated by the participants recording and presenting their findings to their colleagues.  This process can contribute to the cycle of exploration, feedback and trialing that is part of the school review.

 My Role in the Program

It is my role to coordinate the program, and arrange the most appropriate use of available resources such as time, personnel, knowledge and print media.  Although I share a role in the presentation and mentoring sessions, I also facilitate this process through setting priorities for the advisory group and encouraging on-going interaction within the participant group.

Individual Staff Appraisal Techniques

Through formal reflection activities, participants appraise their own and the group’s development within this program.   Participants are also asked to collect anecdotal comments from class students and their parents.  Through a similar process, the advisory team will engage in debriefing, discussing positive aspects of the program and identifying areas where changes could be made.   Representatives from the advisory team will also meet with school principals to discuss their evaluation of the program.

 REFERNECES

 Bredekamp, S. and Willer, B.  (1992)  Of ladders and lattices, cores and cones; conceptualizing and early childhood professional development system, in Young Children, 47(3) , 47-50.

 Butler, J. (1994) From action to thought; The fulfilment of human potential, in J. Edwards (ed.) Thinking: International Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Melbourne: Hawker Bronlow, 16-22

 Day, C.W.  (1994)  Planning for the professional development of teachers and schools: a principled approach’, keynote address at the Brisbane Catholic Education Primary Principals’ Convocation, July, pp.1-22.

 Cardno, C.  (1992)  A framework for professional development programs in your school, in The Practicing Administrator, 14(4), 16-19.

 Dwyer, D., Ringstaff, C. and Sandholtz, J. (1991).  Changes in Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in Technology-Rich Classrooms in Educational Technology, May, 1991.

 Ingvarson, L.  (1987)  Models of inservice education an their implications for professional development policy, in Independent Education, 17(2), 23-32.

 Johnson, S.D. (1992)  A Framework for Technology Education Curricula which Emphasises Intellectual Processes, in Journal of Technology Education, 3(2), 29-39.

 Killion, J. and Kaylor, B.  (1991)  Follow-up: the key to training for transfer, in Journal of Staff Development, 12(1), pp.64-67

 Logan, L. and Dempster, N.  (1992) In-service education:  new principles for practice, in Teachers in Australian Schools: Issues for the 1990s.  Canberra:  The Australian College of Education, pp.123-145

 Smart, M.  (1998)  Transforming through trust: work as professional development, in Board of Teacher Registration, Work as Professional Development.  Queensland Consortium for Professional Development in Education.   Toowong:  Board of Teacher Registration.

 Mandinach, E.B. and Cline, H.F. (1994)   Classroom Dynamics: Implementing a Technology-Based Learning Environment.  Hillsdale, NJ:   Lawrence Erlbaum, p.155

 Mackenzie, N.  (1999)  Professional Development: Lawnmower or Turbine?  NSW Department of Education and Training: http://www.atee.org/htm/abstracts/mackenzie.html (accessed on 22/05/99)

 Maxwell, T.  (1993)  Support structures for in-school professional development, in The Practicing Administrator, 15(3), 30-34.

 McQuillan, P.  (1994)  Motivation: the X factor of school management, in The Practicing Administrator, 16(3), 22-24.

 Walker, T.  (1992)  Planning to perform and performing to plan! in Education Views, 23 October, pp.8-9.