Intentional Professional Learning Design: Models, Tools, And The Synergies They Produce Supporting Teacher Growth

TY - JOUR

T1 - Intentional Professional Learning Design: Models, Tools, And The Synergies They Produce Supporting Teacher Growth

AU - Harrison, Christine Ann

AU - Mills, Valerie

PY - 2019/8/1

Y1 - 2019/8/1

N2 - The need and desire to understand and adopt assessment for learning (AfL) practices remains high on the agenda at all levels of educational systems around the world. To advance teachers’ use of AfL, research attention also needs to be paid to a) understanding the challenges teachers face when asked to utilize AfL practices in subject specific content areas and b) to the development of appropriate and sufficiently powerful professional learning designs that can enable change for teachers. To begin addressing these needs, this paper offers a close examination of an intentionally designed professional learning (PL) series to help middle and high school Algebra I teachers understand the AfL process and then track and advance their classroom practice. The professional learning design, in this case, is based on a collaborative and formative approach to classroom practice and teacher change with high school mathematics teachers. Together, the PL model and tools provide a formative framework that bridges the theory-practice divide enabling teachers to conceptualize and then plan for, reflect on, and revise the ways in which new AfL practices are implemented in their classrooms. Through an analysis of the affordances and constraints of the PL design in practice, this paper provides insights into how discipline-specific professional learning can be better developed and supported throughout the teacher growth process.

AB - The need and desire to understand and adopt assessment for learning (AfL) practices remains high on the agenda at all levels of educational systems around the world. To advance teachers’ use of AfL, research attention also needs to be paid to a) understanding the challenges teachers face when asked to utilize AfL practices in subject specific content areas and b) to the development of appropriate and sufficiently powerful professional learning designs that can enable change for teachers. To begin addressing these needs, this paper offers a close examination of an intentionally designed professional learning (PL) series to help middle and high school Algebra I teachers understand the AfL process and then track and advance their classroom practice. The professional learning design, in this case, is based on a collaborative and formative approach to classroom practice and teacher change with high school mathematics teachers. Together, the PL model and tools provide a formative framework that bridges the theory-practice divide enabling teachers to conceptualize and then plan for, reflect on, and revise the ways in which new AfL practices are implemented in their classrooms. Through an analysis of the affordances and constraints of the PL design in practice, this paper provides insights into how discipline-specific professional learning can be better developed and supported throughout the teacher growth process.

KW - Assessment for Learning, Formative Assessment, Professional Learning Design, Teacher Growth

M3 - Article

SN - 0895-7347

JO - APPLIED MEASUREMENT IN EDUCATION

JF - APPLIED MEASUREMENT IN EDUCATION

ER -